Netherlands, U.K., Australian Navies Ramping Up Maritime Drone Capabilities

The Netherlands, U.K. and Australia strengthened their maritime drone capabilities this month through the procurement and operational deployment of unmanned assets as the three navies strive to transform into hybrid fleets. During Exercise Cold Response 26, which ran from March 9-19, the Royal Netherlands Navy conducted its first operational test of the newly acquired Shield AI V-Bat drones. The drone launched from amphibious transport dock HNMLS Johan de Witt (L801), according to a Netherlands Ministry of Defense news release. The trials allowed the sea service to examine the conditions under which the V-BAT drone can be safely deployed, the release