Kraken Robotics Inc. announces the appointment of BlueZone Group as an authorized reseller of Kraken Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) and the KATFISH towed SAS platform in Australia and New Zealand.
This year, Kraken partnered with BlueZone Group to service the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) KATFISH and ISO20 LARS aboard HMAS Leeuwin. The system is now operational under the management of RAN’s Hydrographic Service. Together, Kraken and BlueZone delivered the first Depot-Level Maintenance service on the KATFISH towed SAS system in under one month, demonstrating the value of in-country supportability facilitated by this partnership.
“Kraken’s technologies are deployed globally in support of critical naval operations, making strong local partnerships essential to our success,” said Greg Reid, President and CEO of Kraken Robotics. “Our collaboration with BlueZone Group enhances regional support across Australia and New Zealand, enabling increased access to our advanced SAS systems for mine countermeasure operations, critical underwater infrastructure inspection, and other survey needs.”
Kraken’s KATFISH and ISO20 LARS on an Australian naval vessel. (Image credit: Kraken Robotics)
“This agreement represents an important milestone in our role as a trusted partner supporting advanced maritime technologies,” said Andrew Hazell, General Manager Defense at BlueZone Group. “By becoming Kraken’s authorized reseller, BlueZone Group reinforces its commitment to delivering sovereign capability in the operation and support of hydrographic and oceanographic equipment. This ensures the Australian Defense Force maintains the tools it needs to safeguard our maritime interests and protect critical shipping lanes.”
Kraken SAS performs imaging and bathymetric mapping simultaneously, delivering up to 2 cm x 2 cm resolution at ranges up to 200 meters per side. It can be integrated on a variety of uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) platforms, from man-portable systems to extra-large UUVs.
Kraken’s KATFISH integrates Kraken SAS on an actively stabilized intelligent towfish system, allowing operation at speeds up to 10 knots for rapid, high-resolution data collection. Kraken’s ISO20 and USV autonomous launch and recovery systems (LARS) enable flexible deployment solutions compatible with a wide range of platforms, from mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) and vessels of opportunity to unmanned surface vessels (USVs) 11 meters and above.