US Navy to participate in Unmanned Warrior

A US Navy contingent led by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) will experiment with ten technology projects at the upcoming Unmanned Warrior joint exercise to be hosted by the British Royal Navy, ONR announced on 22 September.

Unmanned Warrior is part of a larger British naval exercise called Joint Warrior. It will see over 40 international participants from navies, research laboratories, academia and industry demonstrate a variety of unmanned underwater, surface and aerial vehicles in October.

Unmanned Warrior will explore the feasibility of increasing the use of unmanned, non-weaponised and autonomous systems to deliver maritime capabilities. The knowledge gained from this exercise will inform naval warfighting concepts in five mission themes: command and control (C2); intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR); mine countermeasures; anti-submarine warfare; and geospatial intelligence.

Chief of Naval Research Rr Adm Mat Winter, said: 'Unmanned Warrior provides a unique opportunity to showcase our technical and operational autonomous technologies, while simultaneously strengthening our international partnerships with all participating nations. Our world-class innovators, working with our allied navies' teammates, will push the limits of autonomous systems through S&T collaboration, which will markedly improve US and coalition interoperability.'

Other US Navy commands to be involved in the exercise include the US Sixth Fleet; Navy Warfare Development Command; Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division; and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific.

The Panama City and Dahlgren divisions of the Naval Surface Warfare Center will also participate, along with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (Newport), Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center,  Naval Oceanographic Office and Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.