News item | 26-09-2025 | 14:01
The Royal Netherlands Navy has tested unimportant systems for maritime operations on a large scale. This has happened in the past period in a 32 -country multinational context. That practiced and experimented off the coast of the Portuguese Sesimbra and at the Tróia peninsula. The Navy participated with amphibious transport ship Zr.Ms. Johan de Witt. The Mijnen control module Group also contributed on board support ship MV Geosea.
Testing and integrating robots and drones is an important step in preparation for the fight of the future. Unmeniest systems then have an increasingly important role. That is why there were 2 connecting exercises on each other. One was about testing, developing and trying drones, in the air, on and under water. The innovations in an operational environment have been applied to the others.
The use of unmanned systems is certainly important for the different fleet connections of NATO. 2 task groups could therefore be found in the waters at Portugal. There, more than 260 different systems and technologies were tested by 19 warships from 22 NATO countries.
It concerned the Standing Nato Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) and the Standing Nato Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2). SNMG1 is 1 of the 4 NATO fleet associations where the alliance can constantly appeal for combat power, anywhere in the world. SNMCMG2 specializes in making mines harmless.
Swarm drones
On board SNMG1 member Zr.Ms. Johan de Witt tested the crew counter– Techniques against unmeniest flight and vessels. It was important to take over the control of the drone or to switch it off with weapons.
On the water and from the shore, the gathering of information and the execution of surveillance and exploration tasks with drones has also been tested. Being able to detect ships far behind the horizon has also been examined. Moreover, the navy would like to be able to use unemployed systems in swarms. That requires specific software. It links different types of flying drones to the Combat Management System (CMS) of a ship. This too was tested.
Underwater deployment
Because the navy mainly operates at sea, everything that takes place under the waterline can be important to know. So there is practiced with unmanned systems under water. For example, the Mijnen control Module Group (MMG) used underwater robots from the MV Geosea. They mapped the seabed and identified (practice) mines with remote -controlled vessels. Both prototypes are prepared for use from the new mine hunters and to train staff.
By participating in these exercises until today, the Navy is taking an important step in preparing for the fight of the future. A fight with and against drones.