Poland Develops New StormRider 550 Maritime Drone

Polish company WB Group has demonstrated its new StormRider 550 maritime drone.

A Militarnyi correspondent reported this from the MSPO exhibition in Poland.

The modular platform is designed for patrol, reconnaissance, training, and strike missions in territorial, inland, and port waters.

The StormRider 550 is 5.5 meters long and weighs approximately 0.65 tons. It is available with low- and high-profile hull configurations, allowing the operator to adapt the vessel’s profile and sensor package to specific missions.

The high-profile version has a mast with a broad range of sensors, including a radar, sonar and electro-optical system, supporting extended patrols and reconnaissance. The low-profile version reduces the vessel’s silhouette, making it suitable for strike missions.

In the civilian version, the maritime drone can be used to map the bottom of bodies of water, search for underwater objects, including explosive hazards, and inspect underwater infrastructure.

The drone is powered by an outboard motor that allows it to reach a maximum speed of about 30 knots (approximately 55 km/h), while its patrol speed is 4-6 knots (7-11 km/h), with autonomous operation for up to 24 hours.

With this development, the company is expanding its StormRider family of unmanned boats. Last August, WB Group presented the StormRider 850, which can be equipped with a ZMU-05N remotely operated weapon station or a WARMATE TL launcher for deploying loitering munitions.

In July, the StormRider 850 also participated in joint exercises with the Gen. T. Kościuszko Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in the Baltic Sea.