Kraken partners with Anduril to build uncrewed surface vessels

UK SME Kraken Technology and US defence technology company Anduril are partnering to develop uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) for the US Navy. 

Under the agreement, announced on 21 April, Kraken Technology’s K5 Kraken and K7 Sabre USVs will be built under licence at Anduril’s facilities in the US. 

Kraken Technology says the goal of the agreement is to develop a “capable, scalable, and mission‑ready” uncrewed fleet. 

Anduril will integrate its own payloads onto the vessels, as well as its ‘Lattice’ autonomy software, which enables teams of uncrewed systems to operate together across sea, land, and air domains under human supervision. 

To meet demand from other nations, Kraken Technology will also continue a parallel production line, designing a “distinct hull variant” for operations with US-allied forces.

According to Anduril, the US Navy requires USVs that are easy to produce, capable of carrying flexible payloads exceeding 450kg, and can sustain extended operations – requirements that current domestic offerings do not fully meet. 

Kraken Technology’s USVs were selected following what Anduril described as the company’s “proven” performance during the UK’s Project Beehive programme. 

The agreement with Anduril expands Kraken Technology’s position in the US market, following the award of a USD49 million procurement contract by US Special Operations Command in November 2025. 

Kraken Technology has also been scaling up production in Europe. The company’s K3 Scout USV has entered production at Rheinmetall’s Blohm & Voss site in Hamburg, following the creation last year of the joint venture, Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH.