A network that lets ships and uncrewed systems share information directly with each other was put to the test at the centre of a recent Royal Navy exercise.
This year’s iteration of Trident Sprint was held across two weeks at HMNB Portsmouth and involved Kraken uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and other drones being fed information to carry out missions.
A press statement about the exercise revealed that the RN has already taken delivery of its first Kraken USVs under Project Beehive, and these were used in the Trident Sprint trials.
The exercise, which was led by Navy Digital, the RN’s experts in digital capabilities, skills and information warfare, also saw fast patrol P2000 boats from the Coastal Forces Squadron deployed in the Solent.
The two-week programme tested artificial intelligence tools and data programmes with the aim of creating a mesh network enabling each element to work together seamlessly.
Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse, who attended the exercise to watch the action, commented: “The Trident Sprint series demonstrate how the Royal Navy is working differently to embrace technology and stay ahead of a constantly evolving threat picture.
“By bringing our operators together with industry partners to test cutting-edge systems in realistic conditions, we are learning faster, finding problems earlier and turning new technology into practical warfighting advantage.
“Embracing this style of rapid experimentation is essential in bringing to life the hybrid navy and ensuring the Royal Navy is warfighting ready.”
- You can read more details on the Royal Navy website