KONGSBERG and DRASS announce strategic partnership

The partnership between KONGSBERG and DRASS will support the exchange of technologies, systems, payloads, and operational architectures, combining the companies’ complementary industrial strengths, technical expertise, and operational experience to develop advanced underwater solutions.

“Our goal is to develop highly capable, scalable, and interoperable underwater systems that meet changing operational and defense needs. This includes unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions, and manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T),” says Espen Henriksen, Senior Vice President Uncrewed Platforms at KONGSBERG.

Both companies have strong maritime expertise. KONGSBERG leads in navigation systems, autonomous underwater vehicles, sonar, sensors, and systems integration. DRASS is known for large subsea platforms, pressure-tolerant battery modules, compact I.R./optronic periscopes, and payload integration.

“Together, we will build on our complementary strengths in unmanned underwater systems and take the next step into the future,” Henriksen says.

CEO Sergio Cappelletti at DRASS states: “These jointly developed solutions will create an integration bridge between DRASS’s compact submarines and manned underwater systems, and KONGSBERG’s unmanned surface vehicles and conventional UUVs.

By leveraging our respective expertise—particularly through the joint development of KONGSBERG and DRASS unmanned vehicles —we can advance interoperable underwater platforms and accelerate progress in this emerging field. Through this partnership, we are creating a unique operational environment, encompassing the broadest spectrum of assets and technologies for littoral waters and beyond."

About DRASS

DRASS combines more than a century of Italian subsea heritage with advanced engineering for the next generation of underwater operations.

As a global reference in technologies serving today’s commercial diving, defence, and rescue sectors, our portfolio includes compact submarines, swimmer delivery vehicles for special forces, unmanned underwater vehicles, saturation diving systems, complete designs for submarine rescue vessels, and integrated training and lockout solutions.

With key patents across our portfolio, we continue to drive innovation in both autonomous and manned underwater systems.