Kraken to supply its Katfish sonar system to Elbit Systems

Kraken Sonar Systems is set to deliver its Katfish towed sonar system to be incorporated into Elbit System’s new Seagull unmanned surface vehicle (USV).

The Katfish is an actively controlled, intelligent towfish platform, fitted with sensors that are based on Kraken’s Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar technology, real-time Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) processing algorithms, and acoustic velocity sensors.

The system is capable of generating real-time, ultra-high resolution seabed imagery and maps for a range of military and commercial applications.

Designed to deliver detection and classification capability, the easily portable system can be integrated and removed from a variety of platforms.

Kraken Sonar president Karl Kenny said: "When our Synthetic Aperture Sonar is integrated on Elbit’s Seagull USV, the system can provide remotely operated, unmanned, end-to-end mine hunting operations.

"These ocean drones can detect very small objects hidden on the seabed and enter confined spaces where underwater explosives are likely to be hidden.

"Since robotic systems can be remotely operated their use can remove people from very dangerous missions, in essence, taking the sailor out of the minefield."

Elbit’s Seagull is a 12m-long multi-mission USV which can be deployed for a range of missions, including electronic warfare (EW), surface force protection, hydrographical missions, in addition to the core mine counter measures (MCM), and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions.

In November 2015, Kraken was contracted by an undisclosed international defence contractor on an amount of $1.5m to supply its Katfish sonar system.

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Image: An image of Elbit’s Seagull to be fitted with Kraken’s sonar system. Photo: courtesy of Kraken Sonar Inc.