World’s First Extracted-Load USV Airdrop Completed

Kraken Technology Group and Capewell have completed what they describe as the world’s first extracted-load airdrop of an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) from an A400M military transport aircraft.

Conducted with support from the Royal Navy under Project Beehive, the trial campaign saw a Project Beehive specification K3 SCOUT USV deployed multiple times from an altitude of 1,300 feet. The vessel was delivered into waters of up to Sea State 4 using Capewell’s Universal Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System (UMCADS).

The demonstrations validated a new force-projection capability for rapidly inserting high-performance uncrewed vessels into contested or difficult-to-access maritime environments.

For the trials, Kraken’s optional K3 SCOUT airdrop kit was integrated with Capewell’s reconfigurable Type V parachute-based UMCADS platform. The aerial delivery system can be configured to deploy different maritime vessels directly into military zones.

The campaign also included the successful validation of the new IN-Release system, a configurable electro-mechanical mechanism that enables reliable, synchronized load disconnect across a range of aerial and maritime applications.

According to the companies, the tests demonstrated that K3 SCOUT vessels can be delivered directly by air and enter the water ready for operation. The capability significantly increases the speed, range and flexibility with which uncrewed maritime systems can be deployed, including those procured for the UK’s Hybrid Navy through Project Beehive.

Mal Crease, Founder and CEO of Kraken Technology Group, said, “Working in partnership with Capewell and the Royal Navy, we have demonstrated that K3 SCOUT can be rapidly deployed directly from a military transport aircraft into contested or difficult-to-access waters ready for operation. Kraken, alongside its partners and the Royal Navy, will continue to push boundaries to deliver novel and enhanced operational capabilities with our resilient, modular platforms.”

Mark Lavender, Director of Business Development and Training at Capewell, added, “In collaboration with Kraken we were able to validate the integration of a complex payload with our UMCADS platform while demonstrating the ease with which the system can be reconfigured for alternative mission essential equipment be they maritime or land applications. This was further validated in that we conducted 4 live airdrops in 6 working days with the same boat and platform during this campaign.”