On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Kraken Robotics Inc. announced the successful integration and field demonstration of its KATFISH towed synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) and autonomous launch and recovery system (LARS) aboard the SEFINE RD-22 unmanned surface vessel (USV). The trials, conducted during the first quarter of 2026 in Turkish waters, represent a significant expansion of Kraken’s modular subsea intelligence ecosystem across international naval platforms.
captured by KATFISH during the demonstration.
Strategic Operational Integration
The İstanbul-based demonstration follows a similar successful integration in November 2025, when the same KATFISH and LARS hardware were validated on a UK Royal Navy 11-meter ARCIMS USV. By porting these capabilities to the SEFINE RD-22 platform in coordination with SEFINE SISAM (Strategic Unmanned Systems Research Center), Kraken is demonstrating the hardware-agnostic nature of its mine countermeasure (MCM) technology.
The RD-22 trials focused on the rapid detection and classification of mine-like objects (MLO) and critical underwater infrastructure. The system utilized SEFINE SISAM’s mission planning software to live-stream high-resolution data to an onshore command center, removing personnel from potential danger zones while maintaining real-time tactical oversight.
Executive Perspective
“Recent developments underscore the importance of safeguarding critical maritime transit routes and underwater infrastructure, and autonomous mine countermeasure capabilities like KATFISH can play an important role in helping navies efficiently detect and classify mine-like objects,” said Bernard Mills, Executive Vice President, Defence at Kraken Robotics. “By combining SEFINE’s multi-role USV with Kraken’s cutting-edge KATFISH and USV LARS, navies can deploy advanced technologies faster and more efficiently.”
Technical Performance Metrics
During the mission, the KATFISH system achieved the following performance specifications:
- Resolution: 3 cm x 3 cm SAS imagery.
- Range: 200 meters per side (400-meter total swath).
- Data Handling: Real-time streaming for shore-based classification.
- Launch/Recovery: Fully autonomous LARS operation from a moving USV platform.
Corporate Expansion and Acquisition Timeline
This technical milestone arrives as Kraken undergoes significant corporate scaling. On March 3, 2026, the company announced the acquisition of Covelya Group Limited—the parent organization of Sonardyne and EIVA—in a deal valued at approximately $615 million.
The acquisition is currently scheduled to close during the second quarter of 2026, pending final regulatory approvals. Once integrated, the combined entity will control a substantial portion of the global mission-critical underwater technology market, spanning from Canadian-manufactured sensors to UK-based subsea positioning systems.
