Unmanned systems: Rheinmetall shows Mission Master at NATO exercises “Repmus” and “Dyms”

In two large-scale international exercises held together with NATO, Rheinmetall says it took part successfully. “Repmus” (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems) and “Dyms” (Dynamic Messenger) took place in Troia and Sesimbra in Portugal; maritime unmanned systems already feature in the name “Repmus”. Armed forces of NATO allies, academic institutions and leading industrial companies came together there to advance innovation and improve interoperability at sea.

The exercises were hosted by the Portuguese Navy, NATO and the European Defence Agency (EDA). They are regarded as an international platform for testing unmanned systems of all kinds – maritime, underwater, in the air and on the ground. Rheinmetall highlighted the Mission Master, but also command and control systems, advanced sensor technologies and mission management platforms. Tools for operator-in-the-loop mission management were also presented, allowing military users to control distributed autonomous assets intuitively.

360-degree concept for port protection and coastal defence

At “Repmus” and “Dyms”, Rheinmetall showed its 360-degree defence concept. Developed in close cooperation with NATO and partners, it targets expeditionary multi-domain port protection, coastal defence and land-based maritime UxV operations.

At its centre were the Mission Master SP2 autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (A-UGV), the Path Autonomous Kit and the Q-UGV Lassy, complemented by further partners such as EvoLogics, North.io and Euroatlas. These platforms were seamlessly linked via Battlesuite. This shared information space works much like an app store, eliminates data silos and enables ready-to-use capabilities that can be integrated quickly.

According to a recent Rheinmetall press release, the demonstration “highlighted scalable, software-defined solutions for the protection of critical infrastructure and proved how joint innovation accelerates operational readiness from concept to deployment”.

Unmanned systems working together: Mission Master on the coast

When the Mission Master was deployed, autonomous navigation, modular payload integration and high adaptability came together, for example for reconnaissance, surveillance and logistic support. Coupled with maritime sensor systems, the unmanned ground system proved, according to the press release, that it can “operate reliably and with high performance” even in harsh coastal conditions.

Gregor Mannherz, Head of Sales Naval Systems at Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH, summed up: “The ‘Repmus’ exercise offered an excellent opportunity to test the interaction of ground-based and airborne unmanned systems in a demanding NATO environment. Mission Master and Luna NG impressively demonstrated how technology and integration can effectively support our defence partners.”