Thirteen NATO Allies Sign Maritime Unmanned Systems Declaration

Defence Ministers from thirteen NATO Allies signed a declaration of intent to cooperate on the introduction of Maritime Unmanned Systems.

At NATO Summit in Brussels in July, NATO leaders had endorsed the implementation of NATO’s reinforced maritime posture.

This initiative will enable Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States to pool their resources to create interoperable unmanned, maritime vehicles and systems, NATO said in its report Wednesday

"The use of unmanned systems is a game changing leap forward in maritime technology. They will enable us to be more effective in crucial areas such as detecting and clearing mines, and finding and tracking submarines. Working alongside traditional naval assets, these unmanned systems will increase both our situational awareness and our control of the seas," the statement read.

"NATO Allies have learned from the experience of introducing unmanned vehicles in the air domain. This has better equipped us to meet similar challenges that may arise in the maritime domain," it added.