British maritime technology company Kraken Technology Group (KTG) today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thales for the ongoing development and provision of bespoke systems for the Kraken K50 maritime precision engagement platform. The K50 has been designed to deliver unparalleled levels of performance, modularity and operational capability for modern green-water security operations. Further areas of collaboration and development will include the development of advanced composite high-performance craft, in addition to bespoke electric and advanced hybrid powertrain solutions, all of which will be built at a new advanced engineering and technology centre.
Ivor Humphrey, Business Development Executive at Thales, said: “This arrangement exemplifies Thales’ approach to partnerships and building relationships, working with unique platform capabilities to enhance the offering and choices for the end user. Additionally, building with KTG to develop a UK enterprise which can add to the prosperity of the UK, whilst also understanding how we might collaborate with our worldwide network of customers to evolve local opportunities.”
Mal Crease, Founder and CEO of Kraken Technology Group said: “We are exceptionally pleased to be teaming with one of the most well-respected names in the Defence and Security industry, and looking forward to working together to address the growing requirement for advanced powertrain and modular composite structure solutions for the precision engagement sector.”
Thales will provide the ability to integrate a range of sensor and weapons equipment with scalable command and control, communication and networking systems. Thales has also identified the world-leading Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM) as a candidate for integration onto Kraken. LMM, also known as ‘Martlet’, has demonstrable capability in air defence and surface attack, able to defeat a range of threats including Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC), UAVs and fast jets, aligning it perfectly with Kraken’s key principles of high performance, multi-role use and adaptability. This integration is in conjunction with Thales’ other partners MSI-DSL, who are developing a new lightweight launcher matched to LMM.
Kraken Technology Group is a UK company founded in 2021 and structured around decades of cross-sector expertise and pioneering experience in the marine industry. KTG’s core management team come from a diverse range of marine, automotive and security backgrounds, with several having served operationally in the British and US Special Forces. High-performance heritage is embedded in the company DNA and underpins both a disruptive and pioneering approach to maritime design and manufacturing. KTG acquired Vector Racing in 2021 to accelerate its ongoing development programme into high-performance alternative powertrain solutions.
