Battle stations: Autonomous systems readied for Unmanned Warrior exercise

The Unmanned Warrior exercise, being held off the coast of Scotland in October, will involve over 50 vehicles, sensors and systems, developed by industry, academia and the military, and is designed to demonstrate the potential of autonomous maritime systems in defence operations.

As part of the exercise, Thales will be deploying its Watchkeeper Unmanned Aircraft System and Halcyon Unmanned Surface Vehicle.

Watchkeeper, already in service with the British Army, will be flying offshore for the first time, operating alongside a Type 23 warship and merchant vessel.

The aircraft, which is fitted with a video camera and powerful I-Master radar, will be used to carry out reconnaissance and intelligence operations, according to Nick Miller, unmanned aircraft systems business capture director at Thales.

During the operation, which will take place over Cardigan Bay in West Wales a week before the main Unmanned Warrior exercise, Watchkeeper will be integrated into a series of exercises.

These will include detecting and tracking small, high-speed potential threats such as jet-skis and rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) up to 150km offshore, as well as supporting landing forces and providing naval gunfire support.