The Royal Navy has completed a live-fire exercise where it faced drone attacks off the coast of Wales.
Working in collaboration with Fleet Operational Standards and Training, QinetiQ delivered the four-day Sharpshooter exercise where HMS Duncan faced a number of simultaneous threats.
The ship was put through its paces in a scenario designed by Inzpire, a QinetiQ-owned company that specialises in creating immersive and realistic military training solutions. Live and synthetic drones, including QinetiQ’s Banshee Whirlwind aerial targets and Hammerhead uncrewed surface vehicles were used to target the ship alongside simulated threats such as cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles and an assortment of enemy aircraft to increase the intensity of the attack.
The training environment at the Ministry of Defence base at Aberporth tested the full spectrum of the ship’s capabilities from initial detection to neutralisation, both day and night.
The crew successfully met their objectives, tracking and neutralising five aerial targets, as well as sinking two Hammerheads.
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Image: QinetiQ
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