Unmanned systems at sea: NATO exercise off Portugal tests drones in the air, on and under water

Off the coast of Portugal, the Royal Netherlands Navy and 31 other states have tested unmanned systems: drones in the air, on the water and under water. The NATO exercise was intended to trial new technologies for reconnaissance and mine countermeasures as well as for protection against drone swarms.

The use of unmanned systems was rehearsed on a large scale: for two weeks, the 32 participating countries tested drones in the air, on the water and below the surface. The focus was on swarm technologies, defence systems and procedures for over-the-horizon reconnaissance.

Participants included the amphibious transport ship “Zr. Ms. Johan de Witt”, on which various techniques against drone attacks were tested. At the same time, the mine countermeasures group deployed underwater robots that mapped the seabed and identified exercise mines.

In total, more than 260 systems and technologies from 19 warships of 22 NATO states were in use. The organisers included Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, one of the Alliance's four permanently ready naval formations, and SNMCMG2, which specialises in mine countermeasures.

Unmanned systems in the fleet structure

Many navies see unmanned systems as a key technology for future conflicts, to be used both offensively and defensively. With tests like this, NATO wants to clarify how drones can be integrated into the existing fleet structure, what software is needed and to what extent attacks by autonomous systems can be repelled.

According to experts, drone swarms on and under the water could fundamentally change naval warfare.