Kraken has successfully participated in two SOCOM innovation cycles alongside the governments of Norway and the United Kingdom. The company’s success stems from technology that is end-user driven, iterating platforms in close collaboration with operators. The OTA award marks a significant milestone in Kraken’s mission to redefine the operational potential of uncrewed maritime systems for allied nations. Under this agreement, Kraken will design, develop, and deliver prototype vessels that leverage cutting-edge materials, stealth characteristics, and modular mission payload integration.
“We are honored to partner with USSOCOM in support of its mission to field disruptive maritime capabilities,” said Mal Crease, CEO of Kraken. “This OTA represents a validation of our technology roadmap and underscores the critical need for next-generation uncrewed platforms that deliver superior agility, survivability, and operational versatility in the maritime domain.”
Kraken has firmly established its footprint in Europe, successfully completing NATO’s Task Force X; attracting simultaneous funding from the NATO Innovation Fund and the British Business Bank’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund; fulfilling large-scale orders across Europe’s NATO countries; and successfully integrating with the UK Ministry of Defence. Armed with this European momentum, Kraken is primed to break new ground, capture global markets, and forge powerful partnerships globally, as they have shown through this most recent award.
Kraken’s approach combines advanced naval architecture with mission-driven design, tailored to meet the unique challenges of special operations. The uncrewed surface and subsurface vessels under development will feature autonomous navigation, low-observable technologies, and scalable sensor and effector options to support ISR, logistics, and direct-action missions across contested littoral environments.
The OTA mechanism enables USSOCOM to rapidly assess and integrate emerging technologies from non-traditional defense innovators like Kraken. This ensures that US forces maintain a decisive edge in complex operational theatres. Kraken is excited to continue to scale up cross-continent so that the company can supply mission-ready maritime capabilities to the UK and its allies.
