US, European firms ramp up naval drone production

German defense giant Rheinmetall, in partnership with Britain's Kraken Technology Group, has initiated mass production of the Kraken K3 Scout unmanned surface vessel at a shipyard in Hamburg. The companies state the USVs are designed for maritime patrol, critical infrastructure protection, and can serve as weapons carriers, with initial capacity for 200 units per year scalable to 1,000. Separately, the US-based firm BlackSea Technologies has unveiled its 'Comet' unmanned boat, a 13-meter drone capable of carrying several tons of payload for roles including missile launch, radar, electronic warfare, and mine countermeasures. This surge in naval drone development and production highlights the growing focus on unmanned systems for maritime security and warfare.