The Kraken3 Scout Medium unmanned surface vessel (USV) made its debut at the annual Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week conference, zipping through Tampa harbor in Florida as thousands of attendees looked on.
Designed in the UK, the 27-foot (8.2-meter) drone boat arrived as interest in USVs surged—spurred in part by Ukraine’s effective use of similar platforms against Russian forces, The War Zone reports. The conference drew top special operations leaders from around the world, many focused on the future of unmanned maritime systems.
Alex Clark, senior technical director at AV (formerly AeroVironment), which developed the vessel’s navigation system, revealed that a NATO customer was taking delivery of a Kraken3 during the event, though he declined to name the buyer.
Ukraine inspired it.
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) May 10, 2025
Britain built it.
NATO’s deploying it.
Meet the Kraken3 — an AI-powered war boat that launches kamikaze drones, navigates without GPS, and hunts in swarms.
Video: AV pic.twitter.com/JRC9eyTp33
AV showcases smart swarming tech
The Kraken3 sports a “marsupial” design, featuring two compartments for modular payloads. At SOF Week, it carried AV’s new Titan 4 RF counter-drone system and is also capable of deploying multiple Switchblade 600 and 300 loitering munitions.
Powered by AV’s HaloSwarm system, the vessel can operate autonomously or be human-controlled. “We have operated three USVs in the UK simultaneously using our HaloSwarm collaborative autonomy,” Clark noted.
With a 600-kilogram payload, the Kraken3 can travel 650 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 35 knots, with a top speed of 55 knots. It also boasts navigation capabilities in GPS-denied environments, using alternate positioning systems with global accuracy within 100 meters.
Ukraine drives combat USV evolution
The demonstration followed reports from Ukraine claiming the downing of two Russian Su-30 fighters using AIM-9 Sidewinders launched from Magura 7 USVs. Clark said such a configuration would align well with the Kraken3’s capabilities.
Navy Commander Michael Linn highlighted Ukraine’s influence on current thinking: “We’ve learned a lot from international partners and current events… Everyone likely saw the news out of Ukraine that a Magura 7 USV shot down an SU-30 fighter with a SAM. That’s another major milestone.”
For kinetic operations, the Kraken3 uses BlueHalo’s automated target recognition system, which Clark described as having “one of the largest threat libraries in existence.” However, US doctrine still requires human approval for lethal actions, and Clark confirmed they would “ask to put an operator on the loop for that type of mission.”
A recent documentary from Ukraine’s GUR revealed plans for a growing USV fleet—ranging from single-use kamikaze drones to reusable platforms capable of launching drones and supporting attacks with direct fire.
World first: On May 2, 2025, the @DI_Ukraine special operations unit, in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine and Defence Forces of Ukraine, eliminated a russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea.
— Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) May 3, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/DXhg74AKcg pic.twitter.com/Z4fP5CFRb8
The Kraken3’s appearance at SOF Week gave high-ranking special operations officials firsthand exposure to its capabilities. Still, as The War Zone notes, “Whether that translates into the USV ever becoming a program of record for the US or any other military remains to be seen.”
With Ukraine’s battlefield successes and rising industry interest, the USV sector is rapidly expanding—poised to play an increasingly central role in naval operations.
