The Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen took part in a landmark NATO exercise off the coast of the United Kingdom, focused on neutralizing drone swarms in naval combat scenarios.
The activity was part of Exercise Sharpshooter and marked the first time an allied nation participated in the training, combining real targets and virtual threats to simulate highly complex environments.
Over three days of operations at the Aberporth test range in Wales, the ship was subjected to simulated attacks by aerial and surface drones. According to QinetiQ, the crew successfully tracked and destroyed five aerial drones, in addition to sinking two Hammerhead unmanned surface vehicles, demonstrating a high level of responsiveness to multiple simultaneous threats.
The exercise was designed to test the defense of critical maritime assets, integrating simulations of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hostile aircraft. The objective, according to QinetiQ, is to allow naval forces to train against complex attack patterns in a safe yet highly realistic environment, increasing operational readiness.
For the Royal Netherlands Navy, the experience provided valuable lessons for future real-world missions. QinetiQ also emphasized that Sharpshooter strengthens interoperability among allied nations, enhancing 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 the editorial team
