Born in Ukraine, built for allied defence
Aquadrone began as a response to a request by Ukrainian Marines. Developed by a team of volunteers under the Dutch foundation 'Protect Ukraine', it is now scaling into a manufacturer of autonomous USVs. The mission, however, remains the same: to build an inexpensive, modular and easy-to-use defensive platform to prevent unnecessary casualties.
Saving lives by supplying modular, unmanned boats to Ukrainian units for logistics, reconnaissance and casualty evacuation.
Strengthening the resilience of Ukraine, the Netherlands and Europe by developing and producing autonomous riverine systems.
Two platforms. One engineering lineage.
River Whale
Field operational · 50hp · thermal + day optics
The tactical agile interceptor proven on Ukrainian waterways. Starlink + short-range RF, gas-and-steering control, FPV-grade situational awareness for day and night operations.
River Whale platform →River Whale XL
In development · 6.2m semi-V · 115hp · modular
Successor to the River Whale. A modular 6.2-metre platform with a deck rail system for ISR, security and support payloads. Autonomous or remotely operated; encrypted multi-link comms.
River Whale XL platform →Tested in Ukraine
UKRAINIAN INNOVATION PHILOSOPHY
The River Whale platform has been modeled after the needs and preferences of the Ukrainian Forces. Low-cost, modular, off-the-shelf and easy to use.
LOW SIGNATURE
Low acoustic and radar profile.
MODULAR BY CONSTRUCTION
Powertrain, control electronics and hull are independent modules. Field-repairable with off-the-shelf parts. The River Whale XL's deck-rail system extends this to payloads.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Built on Ardupilot a widely supported, operationally proven and transparent software. Manual, remote, and (semi-)autonomous waypoint operation. No black boxes the operator can't fix.
Engineer of the Year 2026.
In March 2026, Aquadrone founder Martijn Otten won the Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs 2026 - the Netherlands' highest engineering honour - for coupling technical excellence to societal responsibility through the Protect Ukraine Aquadrone project.
The award was presented at TU Eindhoven by Princess Mabel and KIVI president Diana van den Heuvel, in the presence of Princess Beatrix and Countess Zaria.
Same hardware. Industrial standards.
What started as a volunteer team is becoming a professional manufacturer. The River Whale is moving from craft assembly to series production. The River Whale XL is being engineered from day one as a manufacturable platform. The mission — saving lives, strengthening allied resilience — does not change.
Aquadrone remains tightly linked to Stichting Protect Ukraine. The NGO is the route through which units in Ukraine receive boats; the company is the route through which the platform reaches industrial scale.
Donate via Protect Ukraine →
Tax-deductible donations to Stichting Protect Ukraine. They fund the boats and deliver them to Ukrainian units. Aquadrone does not collect donation money.
Express investment interest →
We are preparing a STAK so backers can hold depositary receipts in Aquadrone B.V. Register a non-binding indication — we'll be in touch when the round opens.