The Royal Navy is planning to host its first ever “robot wars” off the coast of Scotland later this year.
Flying drones and robotic submarines are expected to take part in the groundbreaking “Unmanned Warrior 2016” event in October.
The US Navy and Nato’s centre for maritime research and experimentation will be among the 40 participants from industry, academia and defence sector.
Commander Peter Pipkin, the Royal Navy’s fleet robotics officer, has said that the exercise will offer an opportunity to demonstrate British innovation and shine a spotlight on industry.
“What we are seeking to achieve is an event that re-shapes the market to provide new opportunities for everybody, and capability transformation for the Navy,” he said.
The event will be part of Nato’s Joint Warrior series, which are one of the alliance’s biggest training operations and are held twice a year, in April and October, often at several locations in Scotland.
Aircraft from various military allies base themselves at RAF Lossiemouth, while firing ranges at Cape Wrath and Benbecula are also used.
Drones have become an increasingly used military tool in recent years, particularly by the US but also the RAF, and have been routinely deployed to monitor or attack terror targets.
Concerns have been raised about civilian casualties in drone attacks and lack of human accountability, however.
The Royal Navy said that Unmanned Warrior exercise would “explore the feasibility of increasing the use of unmanned and autonomous systems in delivering maritime capability”.
It added that the event would feature “the latest unmanned system technologies, including air, surface and sub-surface vehicles and sensors”.
