German startup Stark Defence has recently announced the design of an unmanned surface vessel named Vanta 24. This ship, which will be launched next year, is part of efforts to track Russia's shadow fleet in European waters and protect undersea cables.
Details of the Vanta 24 ship
The Vanta 24 ship can carry up to 50 tons of cargo including weapons such as missiles and guns, and can operate unmanned at speeds exceeding 64 kilometers per hour. According to Stark's CEO, Uwe Horstmann, this ship can be rapidly deployed and is significantly cheaper to produce compared to manned vessels. Horstmann stated, "These systems cost one-thousandth of a manned warship and can be produced quickly."
Response to new maritime threats
As European naval fleets increasingly turn to unmanned platforms, concerns about Russian submarine activities in continental waters are growing. Horstmann noted that Stark's new technologies are designed to respond to these threats. The startup is also developing an electronic warfare sensor that can detect transmitters and radars up to 100 kilometers away.
Founded in 2024, Stark Defence has previously designed two smaller ships, and the Vanta 24 represents the company's next step towards producing advanced defense equipment. According to Horstmann, the company aims to create a new type of defense company focused on technology and rapid innovation.
While Europe is in dire need of defense equipment manufactured on the continent, building ships is significantly more complex and costly than producing drones. Nicholas Nelson, a senior researcher at the European Policy Analysis Center, highlighted the challenges that defense startups rooted in software face in shipbuilding.
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