This weekend saw the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior event get underway, the first large-scale demonstration of Unmanned systems alongside a major multinational naval exercise; Joint Warrior.
The event was conceived by (then) First Sea Lord Admiral Zambellas in 2014, in line with the Strategic Defence and Security Review’s direction on innovation and defence exports. It sees the Royal Navy invite industry, academia and certain Defence partners, including the US Navy, to safely experiment and demonstrate the potential offered by maritime autonomous systems within the Joint Warrior operational environment.
Held off the coasts of Wales and Scotland, on ranges manned for the MOD by Qinetiq, the event will play host to over 500 participants, observers and visitors, all answering the call of Lord Admiral Zambellas to show their latest inventions which could revolutionise naval warfare.
Contracted by the MOD under the Long Term Partnership Agreement (LTPA), QinetiQ has provided logistics and range management expertise to the Royal Navy to ensure a safe and successful event.
Under a £4.2m contract with the Dstl, QinetiQ is also leading an industry team comprising BAE Systems, Thales and Seebyte to provide the overall command and control system for Unmanned Warrior. Three different control hubs will be in action during Unmanned Warrior, the transportable systems bring together unmanned vehicles from multiple suppliers, enabling operators to safely co-ordinate them in pursuit of a common mission.
The six-week event will play host to a number of world-firsts, before the event even began the UK’s largest ever mass deployment of ocean gliders, was seen as part of the event’s geographical intelligence gathering theme.
Watch the event get underway here:
Unmanned Warrior will also feature BAE Systems’ P950 Unmanned and its P24 Optionally Manned RIBs, both developed in collaboration with ASV Ltd. These new craft are capable of 47kts and 38kts respectively and provide unique ship-launched manoeuvrability and enhanced situational awareness to support the decision-making of its operators. The technology is designed to be fitted to existing RIBSs, such as those already used extensively by the Royal Navy, as an affordable, modular upgrade.
Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, said: “The growing scale of Unmanned Warrior is a clear demonstration of the Royal Navy’s ambition to lead and win through technological innovation. Unmanned maritime systems will change how we operate, but they’re just the start. Our pursuit of new technologies and ideas will ensure we remain one of the most capable and successful navies in the world.”
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2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) ASV autonomous BAE Systems drones Joint Warrior MOD QinetiQ Royal Navy UAVs Unmaned warrior US Navy
Post written by: Vicky Maggiani
Vicky has worked in media for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.
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