The Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) says its new V-BAT uncrewed aerial systems are ready for operational use after testing aboard a Dutch warship.
The tests were carried out in the Norwegian Sea from Rotterdam-class landing platform dock HNLMS Johan de Witt during the recent NATO exercise Cold Response 26 (CORE 26), as per an RNLN press statement.
The Dutch navy has acquired 12 of the Shield AI V-BAT aerial drones to be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS, which flies horizontally once airborne, can operate off a flight deck as small as 5 square metres.
The RNLN says it intends to operate its V-BAT drones off no fewer than eight different naval platforms. It noted: “The delivery is faster than normal. This is because the equipment can be purchased directly from the manufacturer as the NATO procurement framework was used.
It added: “The V-BAT has already proven itself in Ukraine. Thanks to AI, the drone can also perform without satellite connections.”
During CORE 26 they were flown on day and night missions as part of the test and evaluation process. As per Shield AI, the UAS demonstrated its ability to deploy in a range of challenging environments, including high winds, sub-zero temperatures, and polar geophysical anomalies.
Missions included sending real-time video feeds to the warship to help commanders investigate objects on the water, and plot new navigational courses.
President and co-founder of Shield AI Brandon Tseng commented: “With operations ranging from the high Arctic to the Caribbean, the Royal Netherlands Navy have mission requirements that demand the best systems to support their operations.
“V-BAT has become the de facto intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting drone of choice by militaries worldwide because of its ability to operate reliably in these environments.
“V-BAT is also the only Group 3 through Group 5 drone with vast operational experience in contested and hostile air environments, as well as GNSS and comms-denied environments.”
- You can read more details on the Shield AI website and the Dutch MoD website