Kraken partners with Leonardo to integrate Black Scorpion mini-torpedo into K50 maritime gunship

K50 Kraken on display at Euronaval 2022 in Paris. (KTG)

Kraken Technology Group (KTG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Leonardo to integrate its Black Scorpion mini-torpedo into the K50 Kraken precision-engagement craft to enhance its subsurface capability.

Under the MOU, announced by KTG on 14 February,the two companies will also explore opportunities to integrate a broader range of Leonardo systems, including the Lionfish family of remote-controlled naval gun turrets, into future Kraken platforms.

Leonardo's Black Scorpion is an ultra-lightweight mini-torpedo developed to tackle small submarine threats with short-range engagements in littoral waters. It weighs 4.5 kg and can operate in waters 30–200 m deep. The company's Lionfish family, meanwhile, consists of four remote-controlled naval turrets – three designed for 12.7 mm guns and one designed for 20 mm guns – for use against asymmetric surface and airborne threats. The 12.7 mm versions have a range of 1,500 m; the 20 mm versions have a range of more than 2,000 m.

The in-development K50 Kraken – displayed for the first time at the Euronaval maritime exhibition in Paris in October 2022 – is a modular, built-for-purpose gunship designed to operate alone or in a swarmed force projection capacity to protect assets at sea.