Kraken and Saab UK develop pioneering autonomous 'drone seeker' vessel

Kraken and Saab UK are integrating K3 SCOUT with Giraffe 1X radar to develop a new rapidly deployable C-UAS seeker capability at sea.

Kraken Robotics press release

World-leading uncrewed surface vessel (USV) company Kraken Technology Group and defence prime Saab UK have developed and tested a pioneering prototype autonomous “drone seeker” vessel for maritime environments.

The experimental vessel combines Kraken’s K3 SCOUT, a high-performance, modular USV, with Saab UK’s Giraffe 1X, a lightweight, 3D radar designed to detect and track airborne threats in real time. Integrated into K3 SCOUT’s modular payload bay, Giraffe 1X is expected to provide enhanced early warning of aerial threats, detecting even small airborne targets at extended ranges.

Kraken and Saab UK took the capability from concept to a working prototype in a matter of months, including a series of sea trials to test radar performance in maritime conditions. The integration demonstrates how K3 SCOUT’s modular architecture can rapidly bring new sensors and payloads to sea, creating deployable autonomous capabilities to help protect shipping, ports, offshore energy assets and critical national infrastructure.

Able to operate independently or alongside conventional surface vessels, the prototype demonstrates the role of autonomous systems within a ‘hybrid navy’, extending sensing and early-warning capability without requiring an additional crewed platform.

Kraken and Saab UK are both based in Fareham, where the K3 SCOUT and Giraffe 1X are manufactured. Following its $175m Series B raise and $1bn valuation, Kraken is scaling production to 1,000 vessels per year at its new 35,000 sq ft facility, supporting growing allied demand for maritime defence capabilities.

Mal Crease, CEO and Founder, Kraken Technology Group, said: “Kraken and Saab UK’s prototype “drone seeker” vessel is exactly what the K3 SCOUT was designed to do: integrate with mission-relevant payloads to then operate in austere maritime environments.”

Andy Fraser, Managing Director, Saab UK, said: “This is a pioneering, UK manufactured, deployable capability, that together with Kraken we’ve developed in less than seven months. This reflects the strength of our partnership, the maturity and flexibility of our respective technologies, and our ability to respond at pace to the evolving threat landscape and needs of our customers.”