Rheinmetall subsidiary Blohm+Voss builds surface drones
Modern warfare is inconceivable without unmanned systems. Rheinmetall subsidiary Blohm+Voss is starting series production of a surface drone.
Surface drone Kraken K3 Scout in Hamburg harbor
(Image: Rheinmetall)
Blohm+Voss builds surface drones for civilian and military applications. The German defense group Rheinmetall has announced that series production of the Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) Kraken K3 Scout has started at the Hamburg shipyard.
Kraken K3 Scout is 8.50 meters long and just under 2 meters wide. It is powered by a diesel engine that accelerates the boat to a maximum of 55 knots, just under 102 kilometers per hour. At a speed of 25 knots (about 46 kilometers per hour), the range is said to be 650 nautical miles, about 1200 kilometers.
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The unmanned surface vehicle can be equipped for military or civilian purposes. Depending on the mission, operations are expected to last up to 30 days. The USV is remotely controlled. However, in the future, it should be able to operate autonomously.
Civilian and military applications
Depending on the equipment, according to Rheinmetall, it can be “used for monitoring sea areas, protecting critical infrastructure, or as a weapon carrier for military operations.”
Transporting people and material should also be possible. The maximum payload is 600 kilograms, and the maximum displacement is 2.5 tons. Two differently designed areas are available for the payloads.
Blohm+Voss will initially build around 200 of the USVs per year, said Tim Wagner, head of Rheinmetall Naval Systems. “Depending on the order situation, we can ramp up production to up to 1000 units annually.”
Kraken K3 Scout was developed by the British company Kraken Technology. The company introduced the USV last year. For series production, Kraken Technology and Rheinmetall founded the joint venture Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH last year. Blohm+Voss was acquired by the Bremen-based Lürssen shipyard. In 2025, Rheinmetall bought the marine division of Lürssen, which includes Blohm+Voss among other shipyards.
(wpl)
