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Royal Navy puts technology and uncrewed systems through their paces in Portugal exercise
20 September 2024
A range of drones and uncrewed vessels are deployed on a major international exercise in Portugal as the Royal Navy looks to push its latest technology to its limits.
An armed autonomous Pacific 24 RHIB, hand-launched mini quadcopters, uncrewed surface vessels and surveillance drones will join specially-designed shipping containers, known as PODS, and experimentation vessel XV Patrick Blackett for NATO’s annual uncrewed wargames.
More than 200 UK personnel from the Royal Navy, Ministry of Defence and defence industry along with US personnel are working with 25 other nations for the exercise, known as REPMUS, in Troia, southern Portugal.
Co-hosted by the Portuguese, it focuses on cutting-edge uncrewed systems and looks to take technology from test phases to integration into operations and task groups. Australian personnel will participate virtually.
XV Patrick Blackett is acting as a test bed for elements of the trials and testing and will embark a range of technologies – building on its successes during last year’s exercise.
The Royal Navy is also testing uncrewed aerial vehicle Peregrine; surveillance drones Puma and Ebee Vision; uncrewed aerial systems Rotron and a remote-piloted seaboat.
The Navy’s Office for Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) are also sending NavyPODS – specially-designed shipping containers – which will act as operations rooms, extra storage space for the drones and as command centres.
At the heart of the UK Operations Room, Navy Develop is enabling uncrewed systems to operate as an integrated force – looking at the command, control and execution aspects of missions. It enables the sharing of data from drone operations in real time, across partners and allies to extend control over the battlespace.
As well as equipment already owned and operated by the navies taking part in the exercise, companies and innovation centres across NATO also use the exercise as their dedicated testing ground to prove their systems and software work with the ships, aircraft, and submarines already in service.
This year is by far the biggest Exercise REPMUS, and the strongest ever Royal Navy contribution to this important event.
Royal Navy Director Develop, Rear Admiral James Parkin, who oversees NavyX and leads the teams responsible for developing the technologies and systems of the future Fleet, said: “This year is by far the biggest Exercise REPMUS, and the strongest ever Royal Navy contribution to this important event.
“The successes already experienced, including proving the ability of all three AUKUS navies to command and control vessels on the other side of the world in a tactically-realistic scenario, show how close we are to realising our ambition of a genuine team of crewed and uncrewed systems, capable of operating and prevailing everywhere on the planet, from the seabed to space.”
For the first time, this year’s annual exercise will also contribute to progress under AUKUS, the UK’s flagship defence and security partnership with Australia and the US.
It will provide a testbed for Maritime Big Play – a series of integrated trilateral operational experimentation events under AUKUS Pillar Two aimed at enhancing capability development, improving interoperability, and increasing the sophistication and scale of autonomous systems in the maritime domain.
The US Navy will inform the exercise tactical picture with uncrewed vehicles at the event while the Royal Australian Navy will participate remotely with simulated uncrewed surface vehicles located in Australia.
During the three-week exercise, the Royal Navy will work closely with NATO allies and industry partners to bolster its use of the latest technology on frontline operations. It aims to thoroughly test the drones in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance scenarios – utilising XV Patrick Blackett and the nearby shorelines as launch pads.
As well as aerial testing, the navy will also be trialling equipment to be used in anti-submarine warfare and the protection of critical underwater infrastructure.
It will see underwater drones launched and their data and information fed back to see how the Royal Navy can ensure the security of data cables and other essential infrastructure that supports supply chains to the UK.