Reading HQ'd Thales team up with Kraken to create 'game-changing warship'

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TBM Team

The K50 Kraken, a gunship which is due to be heavily equipped with missiles, miniguns, a 30mm cannon and torpedoes - and is designed for fast, precise combat - will be constructed at a new, cutting-edge engineering and technology centre in the UK.

London-based Kraken Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Reading HQ'd Thales for the development and provision of the customised piece of maritime kit.

A variety of sensor and weaponry equipment on board the K50, along with scalable command and control, communication and networking systems will all be provided by Thales. Who are already calling the K50 a 'game changer'.

Ivor Humphrey is the Business Development Executive over at Thales. He had this to say about the team-up: “The system perfectly complements Kraken’s key design principles of multi-role thinking, high performance and modular adaptability. When combined with Thales’s suite of sensors, communications and decision support systems, it becomes a formidable and potent capability.”

Founder and CEO of Kraken Technology Group, Mal Crease, said this: “We are exceptionally pleased to be teaming with one of the most well-respected names in the defence and security industry."

“The K50 platform is a game-changer for a number of reasons. We have designed it as the spiritual successor of the renowned allied Motor Torpedo Boats and PT Boats of World War Two. These boats were small, but armed with unmatched speed and firepower to hunt in packs both in offensive and defensive capacities."

“K50 KRAKEN is about performance. The top speed of 65 knots is based on a fully laden condition, designed and engineered from the keel up to operate as a fully integrated weapons platform, which far exceeds anything currently available. It will push boundaries in every respect."

“The input of the ex-operators is crucial. The KRAKEN is not an adapted patrol or insertion boat rebadged as a gunship. It is a dedicated design, tailored for high-speed precision-engagement, with end-user insights of the fast-paced reality of littoral operations and the need for integration and modularity being key."

“It is designed for a fully laden top speed of 65 knots which is a real market differentiator. It has a cruise speed of 50 knots and a range of 400 nautical miles which can be significantly."

Main pictures courtesy of Thales

TBM Team