Vehicles

(Photo: Thales Group)
ing five themes that were selected by
participants:
• Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW)
• Information, Surveillance, Target
Acquisition, and Reconnaissance
(ISTAR)
• Command and Control
• Hydrographic and Geointelligence
• Mine Countermeasures (MCM)
“We deliberately adopted a different
approach to capability demonstration
in that the MOD invited participants to
offer their thoughts on what future capability
might look like and where technology
could be exploited without any
preconceptions,” stated Commander
Pipkin. “This recognizes that we do not
always have a crystal ball but are willing
to look at the full breadth of possible
technology exploitation paths.”
The mine hunting activities of
Thales Group’s Halcyon Unmanned
Surface Vehicle are
planned and controlled through
Thales mission management
software.
The 40 industry partners and international
allies showcasing the latest in
remote technology presented more than
50 aerial, surface and underwater maritime
autonomous systems (MAS) in a
range of demonstrations on the themes
of surveillance, intelligence-gathering
and mine countermeasures. The collaborative
approach of Unmanned Warrior
is at the heart of the U.K.’s new Defense
Innovation Initiative and the £800 million
($985 million) fund that supports
the generation of ideas to benefit both
the country’s defense and British business.
U.K. Defense Secretary, Michael
Fallon MP, commented, “The sheer
scale of this exercise demonstrates how
our armed forces are leading in developing
futuristic technologies to keep us
safe at sea or in the air. This is part of
our new approach to harnessing innovation,
backed by a rising defense budget,
to ensure we keep ahead of our adversaries.”
Commander Pipkin added, “The technologies
demonstrated in Unmanned
Warrior have the potential to fundamentally
change the future of Royal Navy
operations just as the advent of steam
propulsion or submarines did. This is a
chance to take a great leap forward in
maritime systems – not to take people
out of the loop, but to enhance everything
they do, extending our reach and
efficiency using intelligent robotics at
sea.”
20 MTR January/February 2017