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KATFISH Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar

KATFISH is Kraken Robotics’ towed synthetic aperture sonar system for seabed imaging and bathymetric mapping.

Owned or delivered by Kraken Robotics

· Updated

Evidence status
Official product source reviewed
Last reviewed
October 8, 2026
Public sources
2
Source coverage
Solution-specific
Domains
Maritime / C4ISR
Scope boundary: Official product claims are source reviewed. Independent performance verification, accepted-service status, delivery availability, export classification, and program participation are not established.

KATFISH is Kraken Robotics’ towed synthetic aperture sonar system for seabed imaging and bathymetric mapping. It carries sonar in an actively stabilized underwater towfish, with published applications including mine countermeasures, route surveys and subsea infrastructure inspection. Bathymetry measures seabed depths and shape, complementing the acoustic imagery used to examine objects and features. KATFISH product overview.

What towed synthetic aperture sonar does

Synthetic aperture sonar combines acoustic returns collected as a sonar platform moves through the water. Processing successive returns produces a virtual array longer than the physical sonar antenna, allowing fine seabed detail to be resolved. In a towed system, the sonar is carried behind a surface vessel rather than mounted directly on its hull. NOAA’s explanation of synthetic aperture sonar.

Towfish, sonar payload and handling system

The towfish is the underwater vehicle that carries the sonar payload. Kraken describes KATFISH’s control surfaces, autopilot and motion compensation as parts of the stabilization system used during data collection.

A complete installation also includes towing and launch-and-recovery equipment, together with the connections needed to handle sonar data aboard the host vessel. Kraken offers different handling arrangements for larger vessels and smaller uncrewed surface vessels. The appropriate configuration depends on the vessel and intended survey operation. KATFISH stabilization and integration options.

Functional record

What it enables.

Acquire high-resolution seabed imagery and bathymetry across a wide survey area from a stabilized towbody, with real-time and post-processed data products for underwater survey and object detection.

Company or source record

Core features

  • Actively stabilized synthetic-aperture sonar towbody with company-described autopilot control.
  • Real-time SAS imagery, 3D bathymetry, and dynamically focused sidescan data products.
  • Launch-and-recovery configurations described for larger uncrewed surface vessels and ISO20-deck vessels.

Documented applications

Defence and security uses

  • Mine-countermeasure survey
  • Critical underwater infrastructure inspection
  • Route survey and seabed characterization

Configuration-level evidence

Published technical claims

Standard survey speed
4–10 knots; Kraken notes faster configurations may be available.
Company-stated · Source ↗
Published survey envelope
5–30 m altitude at depths to 300 m, with ranges up to 200 m per side.
Company-stated · Source ↗
Published data products
3 cm real-time SAS imagery, 25 cm 3D bathymetry, and 2 cm post-processed SAS imagery.
Company-stated · Source ↗
Published area coverage
Up to 3.5 km² per hour.
Company-stated · Source ↗

Anvil North MINT assessment

Where this solution may fit.

Every connection is an analytical lead. It is not evidence of procurement direction, program participation, eligibility, endorsement, or buyer interest.

Analytical lead

Canadian Patrol Submarine Project

Its underwater survey and object-detection functions are relevant to undersea-awareness and route-survey questions around the future fleet, but no disclosed CPSP supplier role is established.

This is an Anvil North capability-to-requirement assessment. It does not establish a program role, buyer interest, eligibility, or selection.

Industrial and market readiness

What sits behind the offering.

This is the layer a conventional product directory usually omits: the work performed in Canada, the integration dependencies, and the route through export and procurement controls.

Anvil North assessment

Canadian industrial role

The offering creates a potential Canadian sonar-system and integration role. This record does not yet establish configuration-specific Canadian production workshare, capacity, or sustainment responsibility.

Conditions to verify

Integration and sustainment

  • Host-vessel towing, launch-and-recovery, deck-space, and sea-state requirements.
  • Power, data transport, processing, storage, and operator-workflow interfaces.
  • Configuration-specific environmental qualification, training, support, and spares.

Not established

Export-market readiness

Canadian and destination-market classifications, controlled-technology treatment, permits, end-use restrictions, and technical-data access require transaction-specific confirmation.

Open the U.S. market corridor

Prepare the conversation

Questions before treating this as a pursuit.

These questions turn public product language into a configuration, evidence, workshare, and access conversation.

  1. 01

    Which KATFISH configuration and data products are available for the intended host vessel and mission?

  2. 02

    What independently reviewable qualification, customer acceptance, and operating evidence applies to that configuration?

  3. 03

    Which launch-and-recovery, power, processing, storage, training, and support elements sit inside the proposed scope?

  4. 04

    What Canadian workshare and export-control conditions apply to the complete delivered configuration?

Tagged solution intelligence / 01

Latest KATFISH Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar developments.

Items appear here only when an editor assigns the canonical kraken-robotics/katfish-towed-synthetic-aperture-sonar solution tag.

Open the complete Kraken Robotics news feed

Evidence limits

What still needs verification.

  • The reviewed source does not establish a technology-readiness level, manufacturing-readiness level, or configuration-specific accepted-service status.
  • KATFISH appears in Kraken’s current product catalogue. The reviewed record does not establish delivery slots, lead time, price, or configuration availability.
  • Canadian and destination-market classifications, controlled-technology treatment, permits, end-use restrictions, and technical-data access require transaction-specific confirmation.

Evidence

KATFISH Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar source register

Each source below supports a bounded part of this record. A link is not an endorsement by its publisher.

  1. 01

    KATFISH Towed SAS

    Kraken Robotics · Undated · Accessed September 11, 2026

    KATFISH stabilization, survey envelope, real-time and post-processed data products, launch-and-recovery options, and stated sector applications.

  2. 02

    NOAA’s explanation of synthetic aperture sonar

    NOAA Ocean Exploration · Government · July 18, 2019 · Accessed October 8, 2026

    NOAA explanation of synthetic aperture sonar combining successive acoustic returns along a moving platform’s path.

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