Drones don’t just fly – they also float. NATO military and civilian personnel got to familiarise themselves with unmanned maritime technologies during a series of trials in Portugal.

Exercises REPMUS 23 and Dynamic Messenger 23 took place in Tróia and Sesimbra, Portugal in September. They focused on integrating new maritime unmanned systems into NATO operations, and featured the ability of autonomous underwater vehicles to operate effectively together.

REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping augmented by Maritime Unmanned Systems) is an annual sea trial that focuses on technology development and interoperability. REPMUS is led by host country Portugal. Fifteen NATO Allies, along with partner Ireland and NATO invitee Sweden, were involved in the exercise.

Exercise Dynamic Messenger 23 focused on integrating maritime unmanned systems into NATO’s military operations. This exercise gathered more than 2,000 civilian and military personnel, giving all involved a chance to familiarise themselves with the cutting edge of unmanned systems in the maritime domain. Fourteen NATO Allies took part, as well as NATO invitee Sweden.

The footage includes shots of various unmanned systems in the water and in the air.