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Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH
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Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH

Rheinmetall-Kraken joint venture building the K3 SCOUT uncrewed surface vessel in Hamburg

Last refreshed: 24 July 2026

Background

Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH is a joint venture between German defence group Rheinmetall and British uncrewed-surface-vessel maker Kraken Technology Group, running series production of the K3 SCOUT vessel at a Hamburg shipyard. The venture began life as NVL Kraken, formed around August 2025 with Naval Vessels Lürssen, part of the Lürssen Group, which then owned the Blohm+Voss yard. After Rheinmetall acquired Blohm+Voss in February 2026, the joint venture was rebranded Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH. Series production of the K3 SCOUT launched at the Hamburg site on 20 April 2026, with initial capacity of roughly 200 units a year, scalable towards 1,000 a year. The venture anchors Kraken's uncrewed-vessel manufacturing within Germany's naval-industrial base and sits alongside Rheinmetall's own investment in Kraken's $175m Series B round.

Common Questions
What is Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH?
It is a Hamburg joint venture between Rheinmetall and Kraken Technology Group that manufactures the K3 SCOUT uncrewed surface vessel in series.Source:
Why was NVL Kraken renamed Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH?
Rheinmetall acquired the Blohm+Voss shipyard from the Lürssen Group in February 2026 and rebranded the existing NVL Kraken joint venture as Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH.
When did K3 SCOUT series production start in Hamburg?
Series production began at the Hamburg site on 20 April 2026, with initial capacity of around 200 units a year.
How many K3 SCOUT vessels can Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH build per year?
Initial capacity is roughly 200 units a year, with scope to scale to around 1,000 units annually.

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 24 July 2026. Editorial standards.