UDT 2026: NATO calls on industry to participate in military exercises

NATO is calling on industry to get more involved in its naval exercises. 

Speaking at UDT 2026 on 14 April, Rear Admiral (RADM) Bret Grabbe – Commander of Submarines at NATO’s Allied Maritime Command Headquarters – urged companies to participate more in its exercises, noting that NATO offers unique access to large-scale, realistic operational environments. 

“What we can do is provide a near infinite playground for you to bring your capability through your national representative into a NATO exercise,” RADM Grabbe said. 

RADM Grabbe highlighted NATO’s Dynamic Messenger exercise as a case in point, which brings together uncrewed surface, undersea, and aerial systems from a wide range of companies to test and accelerate the adoption of emerging technology.

Other events are scheduled through to 2026, with scope for both large and small-scale trials involving industry partners, given sufficient time. 

“We can make small scale Dynamic Messenger events happen for you,” RADM Grabbe stated.  

Early iterations of Dynamic Messenger struggled to attract participants, he acknowledged, partly because responsibility for uncrewed systems was fragmented across national forces. Once that issue was addressed, participation surged, with “hundreds of items” tested during recent events. 

Beyond Dynamic Messenger, NATO has also supported more industry-focused trials. He pointed to Task Force X-Baltic, organised by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, which took place in 2025 in the Gulf of Finland to test uncrewed surface vessels. 

The alliance runs three major anti-submarine warfare exercises each year, in the Mediterranean, Baltic and High North. According to RADM Grabbe, these drills can be adapted to accommodate emerging technologies with sufficient lead time.