Royal Navy and QinetiQ preparing Kraken K3 Scout USV for deployment, type appears in Ukraine
The Kraken K3 Scout USV as displayed at the NIAG plenary in Portsmouth. A possible C-UAV interceptor is displayed in front of the USV. (Janes/Neil Dee)
The UK Royal Navy (RN) is progressing plans to deploy the Kraken K3 Scout USV, in collaboration with QinetiQ, with the type to potentially deploy to the Strait of Hormuz, Janes has been told.
Beehive
“We have been heavily involved in the Beehive programme to get them [the RN] ready to put the boats [K3 USVs] into the Strait of Hormuz,” James Anderson, Royal Navy account lead above water & aviation at QinetiQ told Janes during one of several media briefings on the K3 held in Portsmouth on 23 June 2026. 20 K3s were acquired under Project Beehive.
QinetiQ “had done some integration trials for the command and control” to assist the RN in getting the type into service, with these tests undertaken at the Portsdown Technology Park (PTP) site in Portsmouth, Anderson added, speaking alongside a NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) plenary meeting.
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