Image source: topwar.ru
25 September began a naval NATO exercise Dynamic Messenger-22. This is the first full operational exercises of the North Atlantic Alliance, whose main purpose is the monitoring of unmanned systems in the marine environment. The exercises involved 18 ships, 48 unmanned vehicles and 1,500 soldiers from 16 countries of the Alliance. The maneuvers will take place at the sites of Portugal, on the Atlantic coast.
The main scenarios are now planning to work in NATO mine countermeasures warfare, countering conventional submarines, counter terrorism and protect the ports from potential enemy attacks. NATO believes that it is important to check the efficiency of the chosen concept for the integration of unmanned systems through naval exercises. This was stated by the commander of the NATO naval Vice Admiral Keith Blount, who directs the exercise.
Approval of Vice-Admiral guy Robinson, chief of staff command of the Alliance, these exercises allow not only to demonstrate the capabilities of the present, but also to outline the contours of the future, including from the point of view upcoming investment funds. Interestingly, in the process of military exercises get a chance to interact with academic and commercial sector of the economy, quickly checking through experimentation the solutions offered to them by the scientific community and business.
Maritime unmanned systems have a very big future, according to senior NATO commanders. In particular, the naval forces of several countries are already actively used in their missions of marine drones. In addition, the Maritime theater of military actions can be applied and unmanned aerial vehicles. As shown by a special military operation in Ukraine, the UAV can effectively work against smaller warships. Western analysts believe that in the future unmanned systems will be very actively used in naval warfare.
Another issue is that any use of drones requires proper level of integration with manned ships to conduct operations. With this purpose and conducted similar exercises: manned and unmanned vessels have to stick together, demonstrating the effectiveness of this interaction destroys purposes.