The Royal Navy will deploy a fleet of autonomous drone boats to intercept Russian warships and spy vessels around British shores for the first time, the head of its fleet has confirmed, reports BritPanorama.
The squadron of autonomous Kraken 3 boats, which are unmanned and remotely controlled, will be used to help the Royal Navy’s fleet of vessels tackle Russian interference in UK waters.
Vice-Admiral Steve Moorhouse told The Times the boats will begin operations “as soon as possible”, meaning they could be deployed before the end of the year.
He stated: “With Russian vessels, you can use these sorts of craft. You don’t necessarily have to use a Type 23 [frigate], a batch one patrol vessel or something else.” The squadron has been divided into two watches to enable operations “around the clock.”
Deputy commander of the surface flotilla, Captain Adam Ballard, remarked to the BBC: “This is about a Navy that is truly hybrid, and so you take the benefits of both types – the amazing capability and flexibility of these systems along with a carrier strike group.” He added: “It’s a really, really potent fighting force.”
The 8.4-meter-long boats have a top speed of 55 knots and can endure up to 30 days at sea on a mission. The formal launch of this new squadron at Portsmouth is part of a move towards a “hybrid navy,” with £1.5 billion earmarked for this initiative over four years.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has commented that the creation of this force responds to the evolving nature of modern warfare. He mentioned, “The threat environment we are facing is fundamentally different from that of recent decades. A major determinant of military power now is who can innovate fastest.”
He continued, “That’s why we are using the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War to put the latest autonomous technology in the hands of our sailors, to help them protect our shores and those of our NATO allies.”
“The more ready we are to fight and win, the less likely we are to have to. This investment strengthens our warfighting readiness and therefore our deterrence.”
These deployments occur as Britain enhances efforts to prevent Moscow’s interference and surveillance in UK waters, disrupting Russia’s use of shadow fleets to transport oil and circumvent Western sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.
Recently, the Royal Navy intercepted Russian warships and tracked a spy ship monitoring NATO military exercises off Scotland. The operations, spanning 17 days, involved British forces monitoring Russian vessels near allied military exercises and shadowing ships carrying sanctioned cargo through the English Channel.
The Russian intelligence-gathering ship Viktor Leonov was operating near the Outer Hebrides as more than 2,000 personnel from six NATO nations participated in Exercise Strike Warrior off Scotland.
In June, Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officers boarded the Smyrtos, a sanctioned shadow fleet tanker, during a six-hour operation in the English Channel. This seizure was part of broader efforts to enforce sanctions and curtail Moscow’s oil revenues.
Concerns over Russian activity extend beyond the sea. An investigation earlier this year found that 340 drone-related security incidents were reported at or near Ministry of Defence sites in the year to August 2026, a rise from 126 in 2024.
Last month, new analysis suggested Russia is sending fishing trawlers to track and spy on the UK’s critical network of undersea cables. Ministers stated that Vladimir Putin is using “commercial proxies” as part of his espionage strategy to map the precise locations of these cables, connecting the UK with the US and Europe, in case of conflict. Any sabotage poses a risk of significant disruption to banks, hospitals, mobile networks, and other essential services.
Recent analysis published indicated more than 500 incidents of Russian trawlers loitering over the lines or following them for miles have been recorded.
