So-called “unmanned surface ships” are now being built at Blohm+Voss in Hamburg. Rheinmetall – following the takeover of NVL, Blohm+Voss is now part of the armaments group – and its British partner Kraken started series production today.
A few weeks ago, units of the Kraken K3 Scout system were presented in Hamburg, and now series production has begun. With the “Unmanned Surface Vessel” (USV), Rheinmetall’s new Naval Systems division, together with its British joint venture partner Kraken Technology, aims to establish an unmanned surface platform for military and civilian applications on the market.
Depending on the configuration, the vehicles can be used to monitor sea areas, protect critical infrastructure or carry weapons for military operations.
The joint venture established last year between Naval Systems and the British tech company Kraken Technology will now operate under the name “Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH”. The merger is intended to meet the increased global demand for marketable unmanned platforms of various sizes, it was announced in a statement today.
The production of the up to 55 knots fast, 8.50 m long and individually configurable operational systems will take place at Rheinmetall’s Blohm+Voss site in Hamburg, which the Düsseldorf-based systems supplier intends to develop into the leading national test and technology center for unmanned and autonomous maritime systems.
Production of the Kraken K3 Scout is initially planned for around 200 units per year. “Depending on the order situation, we can ramp up production to up to 1,000 units per year,” says Tim Wagner, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division. Following the takeover of naval shipbuilder NVL from the Lürssen Group, Naval Systems specializes in the construction of complex naval vessels and coast guard boats at five German sites.
Through the joint venture, the British want to benefit from the production and integration capacities of the Naval Systems division. “The establishment of Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH combines the size, expertise and reach of a leading defense company with an agile and innovative maritime technology company. This will ensure that production of the Kraken K3 Scout can be adapted to meet exponentially growing operational requirements,” said Mal Crease, CEO of Kraken Technology Group.
