NATO's standing naval forces are conducting a series of demonstrations throughout June to test uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) in the Baltic Sea as part of a broader effort to integrate autonomous systems into Allied maritime operations, NATO's allied maritime command (MARCOM) announced.
The capability trials are being held in cooperation with MARCOM, NATO’s allied command transformation (ACT), the centre for maritime research and experimentation (CMRE), and participating allied nations. The demonstrations will support the upcoming "dynamic messenger" innovation exercise scheduled for autumn in Portugal, and are part of NATO’s wider task force X initiative.
Royal Navy vice admiral Mike Utley, commander of allied maritime command, said the trials are aimed at enhancing the operational integration of emerging technologies. “We remain focused on testing the alliance’s ability to trial and integrate uncrewed systems into a networked operational environment,” Utley said.
According to NATO, the demonstrations will take place in multiple locations across the Baltic Sea and are intended to generate operational insights into how uncrewed systems can be effectively deployed in contested maritime environments.
The CMRE will contribute to the demonstrations with the deployment of the NATO research vessel Alliance, the alliance’s only purpose-built scientific research vessel.
French navy admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO’s supreme allied commander transformation, said the rapid deployment of task force X followed recent undersea cable disruptions in the Baltic region.
Vandier added that the project allows NATO to combine “cost-effective mass solutions with exquisite capabilities,” enhancing persistent surveillance while freeing up high-value naval assets for priority missions. He said early Baltic operations had already demonstrated the model’s effectiveness, and future efforts would aim to scale the concept across a wider surveillance network.
NATO said task force X builds on earlier initiatives, such as the US Navy’s task force 66, which uses maritime uncrewed systems to detect and track potential threats and increase situational awareness.
It also added that its experimentation programme is part of a long-term strategy led by allied command transformation to ensure the alliance maintains "a technological and operational edge."