EDA co-organises REPMUS 2024, Europe’s largest exercise on maritime unmanned systems

REPMUS 2024, held in Portugal, was organised by the Portuguese Navy alongside the University of Porto, the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation, and the NATO Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems. The event attracted over 2,000 participants from 23 nations, including representatives from NATO allies, technology companies, and academic institutions. Seven observer countries also attended.

Participants in the exercise included notable organisations such as NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen), Frontex, the European Fisheries Control Agency, and the European Maritime Safety Agency. This gathering marked the largest of its kind, highlighting the growing importance of unmanned systems in modern warfare.

The main objective of REPMUS 2024 was to ensure the seamless integration of autonomous systems across different operational domains, including aerial, land, and underwater drones. These systems are being developed to share data and coordinate operations efficiently, a crucial capability in modern military scenarios.

The exercise primarily focused on Maritime Unmanned Systems technology, with particular emphasis on multidomain command and control (C2), counter-unmanned systems (C-UxV), and underwater battlespace capabilities. Participants carried out extensive testing and experimentation, culminating in live demonstrations. These demonstrations included kinetic strikes, coordinated manned-unmanned amphibious operations, and advanced sense-and-avoid exercises, which showcased the collaboration between maritime drones.

EDA’s contribution to REPMUS 2024

As a key contributor, the EDA led several initiatives during the exercise. One of the highlights was the sense-and-avoid experimentation with unmanned surface vehicles, which took place in a dedicated experimentation range. This was aimed at improving the safety and coordination of unmanned maritime systems in real-world scenarios.

Additionally, the EDA hosted the 47th CapTech Naval Systems Technologies (CapTech Maritime) meeting, which brought together nearly 100 participants from government and non-government organisations. Discussions covered a range of activities within the naval domain, with a specific focus on maritime autonomous systems.

An experts group meeting, also facilitated by the EDA, outlined implementation roadmaps for capability development and discussed opportunities for collaboration among EU Member States in the field of unmanned systems. The EDA further hosted a workshop on sense-and-avoid technologies, where experimentation results were presented and analysed.

REPMUS continues to serve as a vital platform for advancing unmanned system capabilities and fostering cooperation between NATO allies and other global partners. With autonomous systems playing an increasingly critical role in military operations, exercises like REPMUS 2024 are essential for ensuring these technologies can operate seamlessly across multiple domains.