Kraken Robotics, has announced the successful integration and demonstration of its KATFISH towed synthetic aperture sonar and autonomous launch and recovery system (LARS) aboard SEFINE’s RD-22 unmanned surface vessel (USV). The Q1 2026 demonstration off Istanbul, Türkiye, was conducted in coordination with SEFINE SISAM.
Bernard Mills, Executive Vice President, Defence at Kraken Robotics, stated: “Recent developments show the importance of safeguarding maritime transit routes and underwater infrastructure. Autonomous mine countermeasure capabilities like KATFISH play a key role in helping navies detect and classify mine-like objects. By combining SEFINE’s USV with Kraken’s KATFISH and USV LARS, navies can deploy advanced technologies more efficiently in complex environments.”
The demonstration, attended by several navies and government organizations, achieved rapid detection and classification of mine-like objects and underwater infrastructure. KATFISH provided 3 cm x 3 cm resolution data at 200 meters per side, live-streamed to an onshore command center for real-time contact classification using SEFINE SISAM’s mission planning software.
Notably, the same KATFISH and USV LARS were demonstrated from a UK Royal Navy in-service 11-meter ARCIMS USV in November 2025. These joint integrations represent a major step forward in delivering agile, modular, and cost-effective mine countermeasure capabilities for modern naval operations.
