US Naval Forces Southern Command/US 4th Fleet is advancing the US Navy's Hybrid Fleet Campaign through Operation Southern Spear, which will start later this month in the US Southern Command Area of Responsibility (USSOUTHCOM AOR) and at US 4th Fleet Headquarters at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.
"Southern Spear will operationalise a heterogeneous mix of robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) to support the detection and monitoring of illicit trafficking while learning lessons for other theatres,” said Commander Foster Edwards, 4th Fleet’s Hybrid Fleet Director. "Southern Spear will continue our (4th Fleet’s) move away from short-duration experimentation into long-duration operations that will help develop critical techniques and procedures in integrating RAS into the maritime environment."
Specifically, Operation Southern Spear will deploy long-dwell robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats, and vertical take-off and landing robotic air vessels to the USSOUTHCOM AOR, which covers the Caribbean and South America. US 4th Fleet will operationalise these unmanned systems through integration with US Coast Guard cutters at sea and operations centres at 4th Fleet and Joint Interagency Task Force South.
The US Navy said Southern Spear's results will help determine combinations of unmanned vehicles and manned forces needed to provide coordinated maritime domain awareness and conduct counter-narcotics operations.
US 4th Fleet is conducting Operation Southern Spear in support of the navy’s Project 33 targets to operationalise RAS. Using RAS to increase presence in, and awareness of, strategically and economically important maritime regions will help decision-making, strengthen sovereignty, and facilitate regional cooperation.