US EditionNavy 'wolf pack' drone boats in warship trial success
The Royal Navy remotely piloted five 7.2m autonomous Rattler boats in a 72-hour exercise demonstrating swarm escort capabilities and real-time data integration.
- Recently, the Royal Navy conducted a three-day exercise off the coast of Scotland where five Rattler USVs swarmed HMS Tyne and HMS Stirling Castle, remotely piloted from XV Patrick Blackett.
- As part of the Hybrid Navy push, the Disruptive Capabilities and Technology Office and Fleet Experimentation Squadron led a rapid trial of autonomous boats after months of development, according to Cdr Michael Hutchinson.
- Operators used two-person control teams with portable laptop-based consoles to manage navigation and sensors on RIB hull and modular payloads, while boats ran pre-programmed mission profiles and swarm/wolf pack capability.
- Strategically, the system offers force multiplication and risk avoidance by shadowing Russian warships and other vessels from 500 miles away, but it relies on satellite-enabled communications and raises defense concerns.
- Looking beyond surface drones, the Royal Navy has tested a quantum atomic clock on XV Excalibur, praised by Commander Matthew Steele, with data shared under AUKUS.
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"A threat to us all": stark warning as UK military tests 'autonomous' sea drones
Unmanned drone warfare is most associated with missile-carrying plane-like contraptions wheeling over desert battlefields. But that is changing quickly. The BBC recently – and rather excitedly – described a ‘wolfpack’ of seaborne drones being tested off Scotland. The five 7.2 metre craft practiced ‘swarming’ British navy ships. These so-called ‘Rattler’ boats were being operated from 500 miles away in Portsmouth. These are Unmanned Surface Vehic…
Tiny Aussie startup teams with Austal to allow autonomous systems on all Royal Navy ships
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Royal Navy tests remote-controlled USV swarm in milestone trial - Navy Lookout
Five uncrewed boats remotely piloted from 500 miles away surrounded HMS Tyne during a demonstration of how the RN could integrate autonomous surface vessels into future operations. The three-day exercise off the coast of Scotland simulated an escort mission, testing the coordination of multiple USVs under realistic conditions. The trial, led by the Disruptive Capabilities […] The post Royal Navy tests remote-controlled USV swarm in milestone tri…
Royal Navy trials uncrewed boats in landmark hybrid fleet exercise off Scottish coast
Operators based aboard experimental vessel XV Patrick Blackett in Portsmouth successfully controlled the boats as they performed coordinated manoeuvres in Scottish waters. The trials, part of the Disruptive Capabilities and Technology Office’s (DCTO) programme, mark a significant step in the Royal Navy’s development of a Hybrid Navy integrating crewed and uncrewed platforms. “This is a really important moment for the Royal Navy as we progress to…
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