NVL Kraken: German shipbuilder and British SME set up JV for USVs

Naval vessels manufacturer NVL, a part of the Lürssen Group, and the UK-based Kraken Technology Group announced the formation of NVL Kraken, a new entity aimed at rapidly meeting a global increase in demand for autonomous naval platforms, on August 22. Kraken’s unmanned surface vessels (USV), designed for both military and civilian applications like surveillance and the protection of critical infrastructure, will be produced at NVL’s Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg.

NVL Kraken’s initial focus will be on producing smaller vessels, but it has the flexibility to scale up to larger unmanned boats. Production is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025, the press release states, adding that the initiative will see significant investment from both companies. The partnership seeks to complement Kraken’s existing production capabilities in England, allowing for a faster supply of USVs to both the German and broader European markets. 

NVL stated that the new venture will expand its capabilities to include the integration of manned and unmanned autonomous platforms. Meanwhile, Kraken is set to benefit from the German shipbuilder’s extensive manufacturing and integration expertise.

The company believes the current global security landscape necessitates innovative solutions that can meet the operational and tactical needs of armed forces. NVL expects that future navies will operate increasingly in a networked system of manned and unmanned platforms, a concept known as “Manned/Unmanned-Teaming.” In anticipation of this, NVL acquired a stake in Kraken Technology Group some time ago, with the option to increase its share in the fourth quarter of 2025.

“The joint venture with Kraken provides us with an opportunity to respond quickly to our customers’ current requirements and provide market-available autonomous systems swiftly and in high numbers,” Tim Wagner, CEO of NVL, was quoted in the statement as saying.

“At the same time, with this step we are expanding our pioneering role in the development of Manned/Unmanned-Teaming (MUM-T) concepts and creating a key prerequisite for launching further innovative solutions in this field. This includes, for example, our design for the NTV130 drone mothership as a successor to the six Elbe-class tenders of the German Navy,” he added. 

Kraken Technology Group’s continued growth

Kraken has grown rapidly in the past few years through partnerships and investment. Credit: Kraken Technology Group

Kraken has been working hard on securing funding and building partnerships in the past year as it continues to build its market presence. In June this year, the company announced that it had received funding from the NATO Innovation Fund and the UK’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), alongside European venture capital firm Superangel. That funding was expected to support the company’s expansion, continued development in manufacturing, research and development, international scaling, and rapid prototyping. It builds upon the investment from NVL, and presumably supports the setup of NVL Kraken.

“Dispersed and uncrewed maritime systems are vital to ensuring naval superiority and securing Allies’ interests in contested waters. Kraken’s cutting-edge technology delivers a force-multiplying edge over traditional fleets, enabling persistent presence and rapid response without putting sailors in harm’s way,” Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky, Partner at the NATO Innovation Fund said at the time. 

This came shortly after presenting a modified version of the company’s K3 Scout at the SOF Week exhibition in May. The company partnered with Avinc to add the Titan C-UAS radio frequency jammer designed to detect and defeat class one and two drones to the K3 Scout. The partnership also included HaloNAV technology from Avinc, which works with the company’s HaloSwarm. HaloSwarm has been used to coordinate the actions of three K3 Scouts in a single group during trials in the UK.

Calibre comment

Naval warfare has employed MUM-T concepts for a long time, especially in the field of mine clearance. However, the use cases are rapidly expanding with a focus on anti-submarine warfare as well as reconnaissance and surveillance. One of the reasons for this comes from the development of extensive long-range strike capabilities in adversary navies. The modernised Oscar II class submarines that are in service with Russia are reportedly capable of carrying up to 72 P-800 (SS-N-26 ‘Strobile’) anti-ship cruise missiles. It is reported to have a range of at least 600 km, which it could travel in a matter of minutes as it is supersonic. One concept for USVs, like those produced by Kraken, holds that extending a task-force’s reconnaissance range with USVs could be a valuable way to locate threats at greater range, providing surface vessels with improved situational awareness and early warning. 

NVL Kraken should help scale production of USVs, which are likely to be a system that is classed as “recyclable,” by the British forces. This means a system that is designed to be reused, but its loss is not regarded as problematic. This would require good production capacity for the systems, ensuring that it can be scaled at times of war. Other USV manufacturers like Saronic are also pursuing similar production scale, albeit through the company’s own investment and the procurement of another entity.

This article, written by Waldemar Geiger, was originally published in German by hartpunkt. It has been translated and edited with additions from Sam Cranny-Evans. Calibre and Hartpunkt are collaborating to bring you the best content and news from across Europe. Credit for the lead image is NVL.