'Exciting step' for Royal Navy as force buys 20 Whiteley drone boats to 'build fleet of the future right now'

A total of 20 un-crewed vessels are being purchased in a contract worth £12.3m. This is part of a push for the force to create a hybrid force, where conventional warships are supported by autonomous systems.

Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Paul Beattie said: “The Royal Navy’s investment in un-crewed surface vessels marks a significant milestone in our journey towards a Hybrid Navy. By integrating cutting-edge autonomous technology with our existing capabilities, we are ensuring that our forces remain at the forefront of maritime innovation and warfighting effectiveness.”

The un-crewed surface vessels are designed and built by the Kraken Technology Group based in Concorde Close, Whiteley. They will be used by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines for operations training and development activities, under Project Beehive. Portsmouth is no stranger to seeing drone boats sailing in its waters, with extensive tests being carried out for the tiny Rattler-class boats, built by SYOS in Fareham.

It’s hoped that Project Beehive will act as a proving ground for future hybrid technologies, while procuring systems with immediate operational capability. Captain Adam Ballard said: “Project Beehive is an exciting step on the Royal Navy’s Hybrid Navy journey.

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“It takes experimentation conducted by our Disruptive Capabilities team and immediately brings their learning through into operations proving our ability to rapidly take new technology and adopt it. The Kraken USVs will have open architecture for rapid integration of new capabilities to maintain our warfighting edge over our adversaries. Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel are already under training and we will have an exceptionally capable USV operational in the next few months.”

Minister for defence readiness and industry, Luke Pollard, added: “We are building the Royal Navy of the future right now in the face of threats seen around the world. Autonomous vessels will complement our world-class warships, protecting UK waters and helping keep sailors safe on global deployments. This is innovative technology, developed by an exciting young British company, built right here in Britain, and delivered at pace to keep Britons safe.”

Founded five years ago, Kraken has gone from strength to strength by creating systems for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and ATO Task Force-X (Baltic). CEO and founder Mal Crease said: “We are delighted to partner with the MOD to support the Royal Navy’s mission to transform to a hybrid fleet.

“The award of Project Beehive is a major validation of our maritime capabilities and our ability to enhance maritime defence through the introduction of disruptive technologies. As the modern theatre evolves, Kraken will continue to iterate at pace in support of the UK and its allies.”