RN Project Cabot and Atlantic Bastion

[Kirkhill]

Securing advantage with undersea tech innovation

Rear Admiral (Retd) Jon Pentreath on translating undersea innovation into operational effect ahead of UDT 2026, as defence assesses emerging subsea threats and capability gaps

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

The undersea domain is one of the most strategically significant arenas in modern defence, long providing advantages in times of peace while also proving a decisive factor in times of war.​

....advances in artificial intelligence, data processing and quantum computing are likely to reshape the undersea battlespace through acceleration rather than disruption. For decades, navies have collected vast volumes of sonar and sensor data but lacked the computing power to exploit it fully. That is now changing. Machine processing is beginning to unlock that data at scale, while developments in compact computing architectures are pushing analytical capability closer to the tactical edge. The trajectory is therefore evolutionary, with autonomy representing the continuation of a long-term trend towards more capable, responsive and operationally effective undersea systems.

 

[Kirkhill]

More autonomy

Royal Navy receives second autonomous minewarfare boat

The Royal Navy has taken delivery of its second remotely-controlled mine warfare vessel, named Adventure, as part of the ongoing Maritime Mine Counter Measures programme.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

 

[Kirkhill]

I am putting this here because I am starting to suspicion something other than a coincidental relation between Ukraine and the RN.

Ukraine unleashes machine gun-toting drones into the Black Sea

Latest evidence of Ukrainian USVs’ growing sophistication from floating swarm bombs to machines that can simulate combined arms operations at sea.

euromaidanpress.com

 

[Kirkhill]

UK Type 31 Programme Rolls On with Roll-Out of Ship Two - Naval News

Babcock has achieved a major moment in the delivery of the Royal Navy’s Type 31, Inspiration Class programme, as two key milestones – the Steel Cut for HMS Bulldog and the Rollout of HMS Active –took place at its Rosyth facility in Scotland.

www.navalnews.com

Type 31 Status

Current Project Status (As of early 2026):

• HMS Venturer (Ship 1): The lead ship was launched (floated off) in June 2025 and is currently in the outfitting and systems integration phase at Rosyth.
• HMS Active (Ship 2): In early 2026, the second ship emerged from the build hall and is undergoing fitting out.
• HMS Formidable (Ship 3): Construction is underway, with the keel laid in December 2025.
• HMS Bulldog (Ship 4): Steel was cut for the fourth vessel in early 2026.
• HMS Campbeltown (Ship 5): The final ship of the class is planned for construction following the others.

The Type 31 frigate (Inspiration-class) has a targeted average production unit cost of £250 million (approx. $320–$336 million) to the UK MoD, with a total program cost of around £2 billion for five ships. The contract, awarded to Babcock in 2019, aims for a low-cost, general-purpose platform, though total costs per vessel may rise due to enhancements.

.....

Type 26 Status

UK Royal Navy Construction Status

• HMS Glasgow (1): Currently undergoing final outfitting at the Scotstoun yard. The ship was formally named in May 2025 and is on track for a 2028 service entry.
• HMS Cardiff (2): Joined HMS Glasgow in the dry dock for outfitting.
• HMS Belfast (3) & HMS Birmingham (4): Construction and block assembly are progressing, with modules being assembled inside the new Janet Harvey Hall.
• HMS Sheffield (5): Steel was cut in December 2024, marking the start of its construction.
• HMS Newcastle, Edinburgh, & London (6–8): Long-lead procurement is underway, with production scheduled to continue through the mid-2030s.

The Type 26 frigate is a high-end, anti-submarine warship with costs varying by nation and batch. The UK's Batch 1 costs roughly £1.31 billion per unit, with Batch 2 averaging just under £1 billion per unit. International projects are costlier due to technology transfer, with Canada’s 15-ship program estimated near C$70-80 billion, and Norway planning to acquire 5 for £10 billion.

....

Upcoming Type 26 Milestones

• 2028: Expected Initial Operating Capability for HMS Glasgow.
• Mid-2030s: All eight Type 26 frigates expected to be complete.
• 2029: Expected delivery of the first Norwegian Type 26.

....

The Type 31 is a step up from the Rivers they will be replacing

I wonder if th RN is prioritzing the delvery of the Type 31s - more hulls faster for less.

 

[Kirkhill]

Kraken Robotics Demonstrates KATFISH Autonomous Launch and Recovery from SEFINE USV - Naval News

Kraken announces the successful integration and demonstration of its KATFISH towed synthetic aperture sonar and autonomous launch and recovery system (LARS) from SEFINE’s RD-22 unmanned surface vessel

www.navalnews.com

 

[Kirkhill]

"Kraken says it can deliver as many as 500 remote-controlled vessels in the current year and twice that in 2027, in part through deals with shipyards in places including Germany and the Pacific rim."

"Kraken now offers a range of drones, with the 8.5-metre Scout Medium currently arguably the most popular and easiest to mass-produce — but it will not say if any of its craft have so far seen action in the Middle East or the Black Sea."

"Such vessels can carry a range of weapons and other payloads, including surveillance cameras, machineguns or enough on-board explosives to sink a large ship."

After Ukraine, Iran war further supercharges marine drone revolution | New Straits Times

INSIDE a hangar on an industrial estate near a motorway and a port somewhere in England, sleek glass fibre hulls shaped like oversized canoes spray-painted naval grey await the fitting of nearby packaged engines and other high-tech systems.

www.nst.com.my

OUR ORIGINS — KRAKEN TECHNOLOGY

www.krakentechnology.com

KRAKEN TECHNOLOGY

Kraken Technology is redefining the future of maritime innovation through race-bred engineering, modular vessel architecture, and advanced composite materials. Our next-generation vessels deliver unrivalled performance, endurance, and adaptability across defense and commercial sectors. Trusted globa

www.krakentechnology.com

 

[Kirkhill]

UK MoD orders Giraffe 1X radars

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered an undisclosed number of Giraffe 1X radar systems from Saab UK valued at nearly GBP24 million (USD31.84 million), according...

www.janes.com

Royal Navy seeks rapidly deployable drone picket ships

Project HORUS seeks rapidly deployable uncrewed sensors to detect drones, missiles and aircraft at sea.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

Yesterday I was debating with myself whether these two projects might be linked and another example of speedy purchasing decisions,
Then I said "Nah!''. Sea Giraffe and Giraffe are not the same.

But they are. They are the same radar packaged differently with the Sea Giraffe being packaged, at higher cost, to endure a life at sea.

But this morning I got to wondering about how long a life a radar on a USV would have to endure. It isn't going to be 40 years. It might not even be 4 years. 4 Months is not an impossibility. So, given that, how long do the experts think a Giraffe, or other radar, that is not marinized, could survive at sea?

One of the key criterion of the new UAVs is engines that are not repairable and are expected to have lives measured in hours and not thousands of hours. Surely the same rationale would apply to USVs, whose loss would not be mourned, and also to all the sensors and other systems associated with any of these UxVs?

 

[GR66]

UK MoD orders Giraffe 1X radars

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered an undisclosed number of Giraffe 1X radar systems from Saab UK valued at nearly GBP24 million (USD31.84 million), according...

www.janes.com

Royal Navy seeks rapidly deployable drone picket ships

Project HORUS seeks rapidly deployable uncrewed sensors to detect drones, missiles and aircraft at sea.

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

Yesterday I was debating with myself whether these two projects might be linked and another example of speedy purchasing decisions,
Then I said "Nah!''. Sea Giraffe and Giraffe are not the same.

But they are. They are the same radar packaged differently with the Sea Giraffe being packaged, at higher cost, to endure a life at sea.

But this morning I got to wondering about how long a life a radar on a USV would have to endure. It isn't going to be 40 years. It might not even be 4 years. 4 Months is not an impossibility. So, given that, how long do the experts think a Giraffe, or other radar, that is not marinized, could survive at sea?

One of the key criterion of the new UAVs is engines that are not repairable and are expected to have lives measured in hours and not thousands of hours. Surely the same rationale would apply to USVs, whose loss would not be mourned, and also to all the sensors and other systems associated with any of these UxVs?

Not all UXV's are created equal. What might be "disposable" on a one-way attack drone (air or sea) would not be for an MQ-9B or an unmanned arsenal ship.

In broad terms I'd say the difference is between UXV's that you are treating as a "munition" and those that you're treating as a "platform".

 

[Kirkhill]

Not all UXV's are created equal. What might be "disposable" on a one-way attack drone (air or sea) would not be for an MQ-9B or an unmanned arsenal ship.

In broad terms I'd say the difference is between UXV's that you are treating as a "munition" and those that you're treating as a "platform".

I'd say that the difference is the difference between cost and value.

In times gone by whole ships have been sacrificed, regardless of their cost, because their value was greater.

St-Nazaire comes to mind.

Another example is expending 2x 5 MUSD SAMs to down an $50,000 UAV if the target is the Head of State or a hospital.

...

If the primary purpose of an AAW vessel is to act as a picket, essentially a platform for a radar, does the radar need a billion dollar platform and 200 sailors at risk?

Or can a similar effect be created by floating 16x 2 MUSD Giraffes on 350 KUSD 8m Kraken K3 Scouts?

Kraken is reckoning that they can manufacture 500 hulls a year. They have 4 models of the K3 - light (5.5m and 1500 kg) , medium (8.4m and 2500 kg), heavy (12m and 6000 kg) and max (18.5m and 30,000 kg). Endurance of all models is 30 days, range is over 1000 km at 25 knots and max speeds are 55 knots for all but the max which is limited to 40 knots.

I don't know if this applies to the Krakens but one possibility with the USVs is that they are designed to be self-righting. Even if they turn turtle in a storm they could pop back up again.

Oceanus is apparently self-righting

The World's First Long-Range Autonomous Research Vessel | Ocean News & Technology

In mid-April, Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) released a new video featuring a computer-generated imagery (CGI) impression of Oceanus, a cutting-edge 24-m monohull uncrewed surface vessel (USV) designed to run remote, autonomous ocean survey campaigns. Oceanus represents the combined expertise...

oceannews.com

....


Red Cat, currently printing drones for Ukraine, is planning on bringing their systems to the US.

Red Cat Plans to Make 3D-Printed Drone Boats for On-Demand Delivery

Red Cat, the drone company bringing Ukraine's famous unmanned boat designs to the U.S. market, has announced a partnership to use large-scale robotic...

maritime-executive.com

3D printing a boat in 2019 (the world's first back then, seven years ago)

The World's First 3D Printed Boat

The future is here! The University of Maine Composites Center has created the world’s largest 3D object, a boat.

www.offthehookyachts.com

 

[Kirkhill]

Your pickets.

The Latest Ukrainian Katran VENOM USV Presented - Literally Everything About This Vehiсle Is Impressive | Defense Express

Ukrainian officials have confirmed the development and combat use of a new Ukrainian Katran VENOM Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), which is capable of carrying a powerful set of weapons and equipment, including torpedoes, MANPADS, machine guns, electronic warfare and a system for shooting traps...

en.defence-ua.com

Ukrainian officials have confirmed the development and combat use of a new Ukrainian Katran VENOM Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), which is capable of carrying a powerful set of weapons and equipment, including torpedoes, MANPADS, machine guns, electronic warfare and a system for shooting traps against artillery shells​

And the Swedes - Sea Giraffe on autonomous CB90s

Sweden Eyes Distributed Sensors for its Surface Vessels - Naval News

The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) recently issued a tender for the integration of air- and sea-surveillance radars on CB 90H-class landing craft.

www.navalnews.com

Saab brings new autonomous capability to naval vessels

Begin of November, Saab presented Autonomous Ocean Core, a ready-to-use autonomous control system to provide autonomy capabilities to surface and subsurface naval platforms in military and civilian missions.

www.saab.com