Home  /  Media Centre  /  News  /  2022  /  Dynamic Messenger 22 - NATO Unmanned Maritime Systems exercise

TROIA, Portugal - At the Maritime Operational Experimentation Centre (CEOM), Troia, Portugal, a Distinguished Visitors Day marked the end of REPMUS22 and the beginning of Dynamic Messenger 2022 (DYMS22).

Exercises REPMUS22 and DYMS22 present opportunities to test the interoperability of new maritime unmanned systems, ensuring that Allies can work together to counter current and future security challenges.

Over two weeks in September, REPMUS22 focused on testing and training; integrating new technologies in the maritime domain. DYMS22, which begins on 25th September, follows suit, with a focus on practical operational training with new maritime technologies and readiness.

Dynamic Messenger is the first full NATO operational experimentation exercise that specifically focuses on integrating unmanned systems into the maritime domain, and more specifically NATO Task Groups at sea, with more than 18 ships, 48 unmanned assets and 1500 personnel from 16 NATO nations participating.

MARCOM also committed two of NATO’s Standing Naval Groups to support this operational experimentation initiative. Over months of planning, scenarios created alongside industry and academia are being tested, utilising both well-established and cutting-edge unmanned technology.

These scenarios include such topics as counter-mine warfare, port protection, countering conventional submarine threats, and addressing asymmetrical threats such as terrorism.

“We build naturally on the success of REPMUS as a well-established exercise and now take on the next step in the integration of these capabilities into our platforms at sea” said Vice Admiral Keith Blount, Commander of Allied Maritime Command. “That drives tactics, training, procedures, education and the doctrine that we follow. Experimentation is an accelerant to make sure that we think ahead and stay ahead”.

We build naturally on the success of REPMUS as a well-established exercise and now take on the next step in the integration of these capabilities into our platforms at sea. That drives tactics, training, procedures, education and the doctrine that we follow. Experimentation is an accelerant to make sure that we think ahead and stay ahead.

Vice Admiral Keith Blount, Commander of Allied Maritime Command

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is playing a pivotal role guiding experimentation and harnessing the unique opportunities presented by the structure of the exercise. The work conducted by ACT to date is advancing lessons learned, helping to introduce Minimum Viable Products for Maritime Situational Awareness and providing expertise for analysis and assessment of experiments.

“Exercises like this, can help showcase opportunities for allies to see where they may want to invest in the future,” said Vice Admiral Guy Robinson, Chief of Staff, Allied Command Transformation. “We always try to look ahead and ensure we maintain that competitive edge and to embrace new technologies when the time is right for the alliance.”

DYMS22, provides an opportunity for NATO personnel to work alongside the private sector and academia, employing flexible operational experimentation techniques to quickly verify and assess an array of benefits potential solutions may offer to capability development. Exercising with a deliberate focus on operational experimentation allows for the collection of data, which finds its way into the cycle of capability development that will then inform NATO Allies how they might seamlessly work together in all domains in order to deter aggressors and defend the Alliance, today and in the future.

Exercises like this, can help showcase opportunities for allies to see where they may want to invest in the future. We always try to look ahead and ensure we maintain that competitive edge and to embrace new technologies when the time is right for the alliance.

 Vice Admiral Guy Robinson, Chief of Staff, Allied Command Transformation.