MTR September 8, 2020

Kraken Wins Pair of Navy Contracts

KATFISH and ALARS (Image: Kraken)

Canada-based marine technology company Kraken Robotics Inc. announced Tuesday it has won a pair of contracts to supply mine-hunting equipment to the navies in Denmark and Poland.

The firm said it signed a $27.3 million (CAD 36 million) contract with Danish Ministry of Defense, Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) to supply mine-hunting sonar equipment to the Royal Danish Navy, and on September 1 it inked a deal to supply mine-hunting systems to the Polish Navy.

The winner of a competitive bid process, Kraken will deliver its KATFISH towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar, Tentacle Winch and Autonomous Launch and Recovery System (ALARS) to be integrated onboard the Royal Danish Navy’s optionally unmanned surface vessels.

As part of its contract with the Polish Navy, Kraken will deliver its KATFISH towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar, Tentacle Winch and ALARS in the second half of 2021, to be integrated onboard the Polish Navy’s new KORMORAN II Mine CounterMeasure (MCMV) vessels in Gdansk, Poland.

The Head of the Maritime Division within DALO, Captain (RDN) Kim Bo Meier, said, “The ability to recognize conditions below sea level on Danish maritime territory is as ever considered a vital task of the Royal Danish Navy and its MCM forces. After a lengthy and rigorous procurement process the Royal Danish Navy has selected Kraken’s KATFISH 180 system as its future main mine hunting sensor. A modern sensor, which within the months to come is to be fully integrated in to the Danish MCM modular concept of unmanned and remotely controlled MCM drones. With this new sensor the Royal Danish Navy can maintain its MCM capacity and necessary operational preparedness in relation to being able to locate and clear mines in both national and international waters and straits.”

“This was a very competitive process and we are proud to have been selected. We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with the Danish Navy,” said Karl Kenny, Kraken President and CEO. “As part of its commitment to Denmark, Kraken will be expanding its European presence with the establishment of a new Danish Center of Excellence in Mine Counter Measures. This new operation will not only conduct research and development to further improve the capabilities of Kraken’s world-class MCM solutions but will also be able to offer local technical support for Danish customers. Kraken’s new Danish operation will also engage with local Danish companies, universities and technical institutes, ensuring a long term benefit to Danish technical development.”

Captain Piotr Sikora, Chief, Naval Warfare Systems Branch, Armament Division, Polish Navy Inspectorate, said, “The building of new capabilities and acquiring the most advanced equipment is necessary to counter the naval mine threat in the difficult Shallow Water and Very Shallow Water zones. This was our goal during long and complex trials of our first ship, ORP KORMORAN. Kraken’s KATFISH has met all our requirements, as evidenced by our tests at sea. The unique capabilities of this system will provide us with much greater efficiency and will allow us to build strength for the 21st century. We are convinced that with such an advanced Synthetic Aperture Sonar onboard, our new MCM Vessels under the Polish and NATO flag will make a huge contribution to build both national and international security at sea as we face the naval mine challenges of the 21st century.”

“Due to confidentiality reasons, Kraken cannot disclose specifics about the contract – other than to say that it is significant and that we expect it to be a strong enabler within other NATO nations,” Kenny said. “Should the Polish Navy be successful in exporting its new KORMORAN II MCMVs to other countries, we could see additional KATFISH and ALARS sales opportunities in these international markets.”

Danish Navy MSF1 Minehunter (Photo: Kraken)