# Royal Navy prepares autonomous boats to monitor Russian ships in UK waters

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/royal-navy-drone-boats-ready-to-be-deployed-in-uk-waters-to-intercept-russian-spy-ships/
- Published: 2026-11-09T19:19:37+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T19:38:34+00:00
- Original publisher: GB News (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.gbnews.com/news/royal-navy-drone-boats-russian-spy-ships-intercepted
- Topics: Europe, UK, World

## Key points

- Royal Navy drone boats are expected to start operating in UK waters before year-end.
- The squadron will use dozens of Kraken 3 craft.
- Russian naval activity near Britain rose 25 per cent in early 2026.

## Summary

The Royal Navy says its first autonomous surface vessel squadron is ready to begin operating in UK waters before the end of the year, with the craft intended to help track and deter Russian ships. The launch marks the first integration of autonomous surface vessels into frontline Royal Navy operations as reported Russian activity around Britain rises.

The Portsmouth-based squadron will operate dozens of Kraken 3 boats through the £12.3 million Project Beehive programme. Each is 8.4 metres long, can reach 55 knots and has a range of up to 1,100 miles with extended fuel tanks; around 180 sailors will support round-the-clock operations. The Ministry of Defence reported a 25 per cent rise in Russian naval activity in the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, while the programme forms part of a planned £1.5 billion shift towards a hybrid navy. A security review earlier led the Ministry to disconnect the boats’ cameras; it said there was no evidence that MoD data or systems had been accessed or transmitted externally.

## Coverage

- [GB News: Royal Navy prepares autonomous boats to monitor Russian ships in UK waters](https://www.gbnews.com/news/royal-navy-drone-boats-russian-spy-ships-intercepted)
- [The Independent: Royal Navy to deploy autonomous boats to tackle Russian interference in UK waters](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/royal-navy-drones-russia-uk-waters-putin-b3081484.html)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.