The Royal Netherlands Navy’s HNLMS Everchen took part in an unprecedented NATO exercise off the coast of England, focused on neutralizing drone swarms in a maritime combat scenario.
The exercise was part of Exercise Sharpshooter and marked the first time allies participated in an exercise that simulated a highly complex environment by combining real targets and virtual threats.
During the three-day operation at Aberforth Proving Ground in Wales, the ship was subjected to simulated attacks by aerial and surface drones. QinetiQAccording to , the crew tracked and shot down five aerial drones and sank two unmanned surface vehicles, the Hammerhead, demonstrating their high ability to respond to multiple threats simultaneously.
The exercise is designed to test the defense of maritime critical assets by incorporating simulations of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and enemy aircraft. According to QinetiQ, the goal is to improve operational readiness by training complex attack patterns in a safe yet realistic environment.
For the Royal Netherlands Navy, this experience provided valuable lessons for future missions. QinetiQ also emphasized that Sharpshooter exercises strengthen interoperability among allies and expand multinational cooperation in an increasingly dynamic maritime threat environment.
source: UK Defence Blog | Photo: X @kon_marine | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team
