Royal Navy 1st Autonomous Squadron commissioning, Digi Mart USA News (HMNB Portsmouth, UK): The Royal Navy has made a squadron formed entirely of autonomous boats officially part of the fleet for the first time. The commissioning ceremony for the 1st Autonomous Squadron took place at HMNB Portsmouth and included a demonstration of the Kraken K3 Scout boats.
Senior officers say the new capability will help defend the UK against rapidly changing threats, as the Navy works to build a fleet of both manned and unmanned vessels. Capt Adam Ballard, deputy commander of the surface flotilla, told the BBC that the aim is a Navy that is truly hybrid, combining the capability and flexibility of these systems with a carrier strike group.
Ballard added: “It’s a really, really potent fighting force.”
The Kraken K3 Scout boats are built in Fareham, Hampshire, and have a top speed of about 60mph. The unmanned, remotely operated boats can be used for surveillance, force protection and precision strikes, and will work alongside manned warships and helicopters.
They can carry cameras and radar for surveillance and be fitted with weapons.
Lt Reece McCarthy of the 1st Autonomous Squadron described operating the vessels as “100% a young person’s game.” “We use Xbox controls and PlayStation controls to drive the craft,” he explained. “We have some of the most genius sailors in the Navy fresh out of training.”
The boats are expected to carry out their first operational deployment in the coming months. Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse said he was “genuinely excited,” adding that two or three years ago the idea of the Navy doing this today would have seemed far-fetched.
“That’s the pace at which we’ve gone, and the focus on it, and where technology has taken us, so it’s hugely exciting.”
