U.S. picks British Kraken for autonomous surface and subsurface drone fleet program.

British shipbuilder Kraken Technology Group has secured a United States Special Operations Command Other Transaction Authority agreement capped at 49 million dollars to design and prototype uncrewed surface and subsurface vessels for special operations forces. The deal accelerates the fielding of low-observable, modular maritime drones that can move intelligence, equipment, and effects through heavily monitored coastal zones with reduced risk to U.S. personnel.

United States Special Operations Command has selected the United Kingdom's Kraken Technology Group for a new wave of autonomous maritime systems, awarding the Fareham-based company an Other Transaction Authority agreement worth up to 49 million dollars to push uncrewed surface and subsurface vessels from experimentation toward operational use. According to Kraken and several defense industry outlets, the multi-year effort will focus on prototype platforms that exploit advanced composites, low-observable hull forms, and modular payload bays so that the same core drone can be reconfigured for intelligence collection, discreet logistics, or support to direct action missions in contested littoral waters.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The K4 Manta positions itself as a hybrid surface and subsurface platform, directly aligned with the orientation of the OTA awarded by USSOCOM (Picture source: Kraken)

The systems concerned combine advanced naval architecture and mission-driven design to meet the constraints of special operations forces. The uncrewed surface and subsurface vessels that Kraken is developing for USSOCOM are expected to incorporate autonomous navigation, low-observable technologies, and scalable sensor and effector options dedicated to ISR, discreet logistics, and support to direct-action missions. The use of composite materials and refined hull forms reduces radar, infrared, and acoustic signatures while maintaining high transit performance. The aim is to provide assets able to remain on station for several days, manoeuvre autonomously in congested sea lanes, and remain difficult to locate for an opponent equipped with coastal radars and underwater sensor networks.

Within this picture, two platforms already associated with Kraken play a structuring role in the interest shown by U.S. forces, the K3 Scout and the K4 Manta, both presented to special operations forces in exercises and evaluation campaigns. The K3 Scout is a compact, low-signature uncrewed surface vessel designed as a low-cost multi-mission drone for coastal surveillance, route reconnaissance, and protection of critical infrastructure. Its lightweight composite hull and propulsion optimised for quiet approaches reduce detection probability, while its modular architecture enables it to carry a range of ISR payloads, from stabilised electro-optical turrets to electronic intelligence sensors.

The K4 Manta positions itself as a hybrid surface and subsurface platform, directly aligned with the orientation of the OTA awarded by USSOCOM. Developed by Kraken Security, it is designed for high-speed surface transits followed by partial or full submergence for discreet approaches. Its carbon foiling structure provides both speed and reduced signatures by minimising visual, acoustic, radar, and thermal cues. The K4 Manta is reported to carry up to five thousand kilograms of payload and to achieve endurance of up to ten days in autonomous mode, depending on mission profile, which allows it to embark heavy sensors, communication relay packages, or compact strike payloads. Its deployable mast hosts ISR sensors and communications antennas, while submerged phases prioritise passive listening and very low-observability tracks.

Taken together, these characteristics translate into a range of tactical capacities that special operations forces do not easily obtain from traditional crewed platforms. A K3 Scout deployed ahead of a force package can map a channel, monitor an isolated coastal area, or detect changes around a sensitive site while transmitting its intelligence feeds in near real time to ground teams or airborne assets. A K4 Manta can be used to cross a heavily monitored area, approach a shoreline or point of interest under sea cover, then collect intelligence, deploy sensors, or prepare a direct-action mission before withdrawing discreetly. These platforms also enable distributed logistics by moving equipment to recovery points while limiting crew exposure. For USSOCOM, the combination of autonomous mobility, low observability, and modularity increases the ability to maintain operational tempo in theatres dense with sensors, where the movement of a crewed vessel is more likely to be detected and exploited.

Kraken’s trajectory shows a rapid consolidation of its European footprint. The company has completed NATO Task Force X, obtained simultaneous funding from the NATO Innovation Fund and the British Business Bank’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund, fulfilled large orders in several European NATO countries, and integrated its solutions within the UK Ministry of Defence. Building on this base, it now highlights a European momentum it intends to convert into, broader global presence, seeking new markets and developing structured partnerships around its families of platforms.

The OTA awarded by USSOCOM underlines the geopolitical dimension of this convergence between a European maritime technology actor and U.S. special operations forces. In a context marked by growing militarisation of straits, disputed archipelagos, and the approaches to strategic ports, allied navies are turning toward autonomous systems able to avoid surveillance and create room for manoeuvre. By engaging with a company that has already established its credentials within NATO, the United States sends a signal to partners and competitors alike that the next phase of naval competition will also depend on the ability to deploy discreet networks of uncrewed systems, integrated into allied command architectures and able to alter the risk calculus in the most exposed littoral zones.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.