Poland will launch production of Seawolf unmanned surface vessels as part of investments by Norway’s Kongsberg aimed at building a new security architecture for the Baltic Sea.
Kongsberg’s investments cover two areas: manufacturing MCT-30 remote weapon stations and counter-drone systems, as well as setting up production of Seawolf maritime drones. That’s according to Defence24.
As the outlet notes, starting production of Seawolf unmanned maritime systems in Poland is advantageous for several reasons. It enables cooperation with Ukrainian industry and boosts defense manufacturing within the EU.
“Thanks to investments in infrastructure and modern industry, Poland, the initiator of both the June declaration and the Baltic Doctrine, has an opportunity to take a leading role in both security and economic integration in the Baltic Sea region,” the article says.
The modular Seawolf sea drone was unveiled in May at the Defence24 Days security conference in Poland. The platform’s developer is Ekskalibur.
Seawolf’s designers incorporated Ukraine’s experience in naval warfare. The drone, which resembles Ukraine’s Magura, can be quickly configured for various combat or surveillance missions without changing core components.
The Seawolf drone is 7.7 meters long, 2.2 meters wide and weighs 950 kilograms. It is powered by a 270-horsepower diesel engine and has a range of up to 1,600 kilometers. The UAV can carry up to 1,650 kilograms of payload and up to 450 kilograms of explosives.
An enlarged 9.5-meter version of Seawolf can carry up to 4,000 kilograms of payload and has a range of 1,500 kilometers. This model can be armed with four AIM-9 air-defense missiles, a module with a 12.7 mm M2 machine gun, FPV drones, or a launcher with guided munitions.
