Royal Navy Begins New Autonomous Systems Mine Warfare Trials

The Royal Navy has been trialling various pieces of autonomous equipment and new ways of using it on frontline operations.

From deploying existing equipment in new environments to placing crewless kit on a range of Royal Navy ships, it has been a busy few months for the various squadrons within the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group.

As the navy seeks to reshape its approach to mine warfare, the MTXG and its specialist personnel, with support from the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation, have been engaged in a range of tasks from launching underwater vehicles to integrating software in new systems.

In a milestone moment for the future of minehunting operations, MTXG’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Trials Team (MASTT) successfully completed a Degree 3 Autonomy serial, also known as conditional automation.

It proved the autonomous system – in this case uncrewed surface vessel Royal Navy Motor Boat Apollo – could handle most operational tasks independently under certain conditions.

The latest round of testing, conducted in Weymouth Bay, saw Apollo controlled remotely from a control centre and successfully carry out a pre-programmed mission and use the information given to it to avoid potential hazards.

Operators in the control centre continuously assessed a stream of different data feeds and sensors to ensure the mission was proceeding as planned and the vessel remained safe.

Lieutenant Commander Alan Hendry, Officer in Charge of MASTT, said: “The results of trials on RNMB Apollo were impressive.”

MASTT is now focused on further refining the system and preparing for an integration period later in the year with the UK’s new ‘minehunting mother ship’, RFA Stirling Castle.

Meanwhile Yankee Squadron Unit 1 has been working closely with DE&S trialling the Seacat maritime autonomous underwater vehicle. It uses an on board echo-sounder and camera to relay real-time information. The trials were the latest step of the Seacat being transferred into service.

Used for hydrographic surveying, Seacat was successfully launched and recovered numerous times over a four-week period.

Sister squadron Zulu took its equipment to ships within the Royal Navy, embarking on P2000s for the first time overseas to see how its minehunting equipment could be used in different locations and on different vessels.

They deployed a team of five to NATO’s annual Baltic exercise, embarking on HMS Puncher and HMS Pursuer.

The team took with them an IVER 3 Autonomous Vehicle, which operates independently, scanning the seabed with its sonar to identify potential mines and a Video Ray Defender remotely operated vehicle which sends a live stream back to the operator to safely find potential mines on the sea bed.

The trials helped to expand the number/types of ships mine warfare teams will be able to work with or from in future.

Read more details on the Royal Navy website.