Sweden is currently participating in the REPMUS exercise in Portugal, where 30 countries gather to develop and test unmanned maritime systems. It is the third year Sweden is involved in this exercise, but the first time as a NATO member. The exercise focuses on autonomous vehicles and tactics development to integrate them with manned systems in military operations, writes the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration in a press release.

– Our participation plays a key role in the development of Sweden's capabilities with maritime unmanned systems. Capabilities that are central and in demand, both nationally and internationally, not least in a NATO context, says Robert Wigert, FMV, who is head of delegation in Team Sweden, to the agency.

Sweden contributes with personnel and equipment from the Swedish Armed Forces, FMV, FOI, Saab, Miraya, Skeldar, and KTH. The Swedish participants are active in three domains: underwater combat, surface combat, and air combat. In surface combat operations, USV vehicles and UAV Skeldar are used for reconnaissance, both in offensive and defensive operations. Sweden's contribution also includes tests of the Ghostfoiler vehicle and cooperation with French naval vessels, writes FMV.

In the underwater domain, the unmanned underwater vehicle AUV62 is tested, which functions as an acoustic submarine target and performs mine hunting. The results so far have been positive, and the systems are being tested for future introduction into the Swedish Navy.

– We hope to receive an attack order, so that after identifying a target, we move from UAV Skeldar to USV Piraya with only a human safety filter in between. This capability would be particularly relevant in an archipelago environment, where islets and skerries obscure the view for surface systems, says Robert Wigert.

Miraya is responsible for the reconstruction and analysis of the exercise's various elements, which is linked to NATO's work on developing a submarine hunting barrier. The exercise concludes next week with presentations of the results to decision-makers from participating nations.