About

About KATFISH Towed SAS

KATFISH is Kraken Robotics’ actively stabilized towed synthetic-aperture sonar system for high-speed underwater survey. Articulated tail fins and an autopilot maintain altitude or depth over changing seabed terrain, while Kraken SAS and a multibeam nadir gap-filler produce imagery and co-registered bathymetry.

The current 2026 brochure specifies a 2.9-metre towbody, 1.2-metre wingspan, 200-kilogram weight in air and 300-metre depth rating. Standard survey operation spans four to ten knots and five to 30 metres altitude, with up to 200 metres range per side, 3-centimetre real-time SAS imagery and 2-centimetre post-processed imagery. Kraken documents worldwide deployments for mine countermeasures, infrastructure inspection and seabed survey, supporting production-use maturity. Optional ISO20 or USV launch-and-recovery systems remain configuration-dependent.

Capabilities

Source-backed capabilities

Subsea survey and inspection
Claimed - Kraken presents KATFISH for high-speed synthetic-aperture-sonar underwater survey with autonomous launch and recovery support.
Source
Marine survey and mapping
Claimed - Kraken presents KATFISH for high-speed synthetic-aperture-sonar underwater survey with autonomous launch and recovery support.
Source

Timeline

Kraken demonstrates autonomous KATFISH launch and recovery from a SEFINE USV
2026-04-07 - Capability - Kraken and SEFINE demonstrated KATFISH launch and recovery from the RD-22 USV during sea trials off Istanbul. KATFISH streamed 3 cm by 3 cm resolution sonar data to an onshore command centre. The demonstration focused on detecting and classifying mine-like objects and critical underwater infrastructure.
Source
Kraken Robotics announces $24 million in defence orders
2026-03-17 - Commercial Order - The approximately $24 million order pool covered SeaPower batteries, KATFISH towed SAS and Kraken SAS for more than 10 customers across five countries. The Polish Navy ordered a new KATFISH for its minehunting programme, while other defence customers ordered SAS for autonomous underwater vehicles. Kraken expected its new Nova Scotia battery facility to begin operating within a month of the announcement.
Source
Kraken Robotics announces $12 million in sonar and subsea battery orders
2025-12-02 - Commercial Order - The approximately $12 million order pool covered Kraken SAS, KATFISH towed-SAS spares and SeaPower batteries. Named customers included Teledyne Marine, Terradepth and two navies from NATO member countries. Teledyne Marine planned to integrate Kraken SAS and SeaPower batteries on Gavia and SeaRaptor autonomous underwater vehicles.
Source
Kraken Robotics demonstrates autonomous launch and recovery system for KATFISH
2024-11-04 - Demonstration - Kraken demonstrated its Autonomous Launch and Recovery System for the KATFISH towed synthetic aperture sonar platform The demonstration was conducted in Halifax Harbour for more than 40 navy customers and partners The system was shown with Kraken's mine countermeasures and subsea survey workflow
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Context

Comparable Systems

T18-M
Exail - Towed Sonar System