Exclusive: NATO to procure new capabilities to counter uncrewed maritime threat

NATO members are planning on procuring new off-the-shelf capabilities to counter the pervasive threat from maritime uncrewed systems, DSEI Gateway has learnt.

The procurement will be based around an operational challenge led by NATO, enabling members to rapidly identify, test, and procure relevant industry capabilities, rather than pursuing a multi-year development programme, Rear Admiral Paul Flos, the Chairman of NATO’s Naval Armaments Group (NNAG), told DSEI Gateway.

The initiative directly follows a NNAG meeting held at the end of last year, which concluded that countering uncrewed systems was their top priority, he said.

Why now?

Conflicts in the Black and Red Sea have highlighted the pervasive threat uncrewed systems – both in the air and on the sea – can pose to naval forces. Ukraine, in particular, has demonstrated this, having successfully countered Russia’s entire Black Sea Fleet through its deployment of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).  

These operations are key reasons why the procurement programme is being launched, the rear admiral acknowledged, which is being led by Canada. Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK are some of the other countries involved.

The UK recently held a naval counter-uncrewed systems trial – exercise Sharpshooter – in February with the Type 45 air-defence destroyer HMS Dauntless, where it faced attacks from surface and aerial drones.

Industry will then be formally informed of the programme, ahead of the challenge, which he hopes will take place before the summer.

A contract is then expected, although he admitted that it is not yet clear how the equipment will eventually be acquired, with the meeting in March set to discuss this.

While there may be “bumps” in delivering the challenge, given it’s a new procurement approach with multiple countries involved, he acknowledged that it should demonstrate the efficacy and speed with which certain procurement programmes can be managed.

The challenge-led procurement approach is already being trialled by certain individual countries such as the Netherlands and UK. Yet scaling it internationally could present some hurdles. Countries often have differing requirements and preferences when acquiring equipment – let’s see what happens.