UK To Conduct Military Exercises Using Drones In October

The Royal Navy of UK will be conducting a NATO Joint Warriors exercise using the maritime autonomous systems in the autumn of 2016.

The exercise “Robo-Wars”, to be held in Scotland in October, will focus mainly on the use of unmanned and autonomous maritime craft – both on the surface and under the waves – and air surveillance. The focus will be on areas such as anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures as well as intelligence gathering.

In addition to providing training for the military, the navy is inviting companies developing this kind of technology to use the exercise to showcase their innovations in a simulated combat situation, described by the navy as “a realistic workout”, The Guardian reported Wednesday.

The US navy is participating in the exercise, as well as Nato’s centre of maritime research and experimentation.

The Joint Warrior exercises, one of the biggest military exercises in Europe, are held twice a year in Scotland, in April and October. One exercise last year involved 50 ships, 70 aircraft and 13,000 personnel from 15 Nato nations.