The Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Evertsen has shot down multiple simulated aerial and surface drone threats during Exercise Sharpshooter off the Welsh coast, marking the first time a NATO ally has participated in the QinetiQ-run event, the company stated.
The live-firing exercise took place over three days at MOD Aberporth, with Evertsen operating around 20 miles offshore. The scenario involved simulated swarm attacks using QinetiQ’s Banshee Whirlwind aerial drone targets and its Hammerhead uncrewed surface vehicles, alongside synthetic threats integrated into the exercise environment.
According to QinetiQ, the Dutch warship successfully tracked and neutralised five aerial targets and struck and sank two Hammerhead unmanned surface vehicles during the exercise. The threat scenario, designed by QinetiQ-owned Inzpire, required the defence of critical assets in contested waters. Live targets were blended with synthetic representations of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hostile aircraft, testing the ship’s procedures from detection through to engagement.
Commander Marcel Keveling of the Royal Netherlands Navy said: “HNLMS Evertsen and the Royal Netherlands Navy are grateful to have trained on such an immersive level. To be able to fire at live targets and keep our crew in a higher state of readiness for multiple days has taught us many lessons we aim to take with us when sailing on an operational level.”
He added: “Especially in the ever-changing world of today we find it important to train as realistically as possible, this exercise was a prime example of that.”
Will Blamey, Chief Executive UK Defence at QinetiQ, said the exercise underlined the importance of multinational interoperability. He said: “With interoperability between nations more important than ever, these exercises give the UK and its allies the opportunity to train alongside each other, sharing tactics and learnings to improve readiness.”
Blamey added: “By blending live and synthetic training with advanced capabilities, we help allied forces stay battle-ready and make confident decisions in a fast-changing threat environment.”
QinetiQ said it operates 16 UK sites under the Long-Term Partnering Agreement, delivering test and training activities across land, sea and air domains.
The exercise follows earlier Sharpshooter activity involving HMS Dauntless, which conducted similar drone swarm engagements ahead of deployment with the UK Carrier Strike Group. QinetiQ also recently supported Exercise Med Strike in the Mediterranean and Formidable Shield off Scotland, which involved 11 allied nations countering threats ranging from drone swarms to ballistic and supersonic missiles.
Errm, Is this the third time now ?
Fourth, I think. The Dutch Navy must be the best-drilled in the world.
Fourth ! ha ha.
I wonder If It’ll appear again now ?
Third or fourth time?
What’s the weather like in Devon ? Thinking of a little visit to Instow this coming week.
The whole south west is a great big puddle mate.. bring your wellies.
Haha, I got my Waders just in case !
Its warm and wet just now but tuesday is forecast dry.If you do visit use the dunes carpark as the traffic wardens are pretty hot at the mo!
Feckin Triffic Gestappo everywhere nowadays.
Us Motorhomers are like the Plague, Don’t park here, no overnight, No Motorhomes, No sleeping, No camping, No enjoying this place for the night blah blah blah, I have a great selection of signs now !!! 😁
You are ok with parking your motorhome in sandhills carpark mate,its safe and quiet and its £12 for 24hrs,just avoid the roadside parking on the front!Also Appledore accepts motorhomes overnight and its very reasonable
What is interesting is these air defence vessels will probably be the first ones to get their own air defence optionally manned side kick drones.. the Dutch are ordering 2 600 ton vessels to accompany their air defence frigates.. each will have a crew of 8 and be semi autonomous ( because the Dutch don’t believe fully autonomous complex combatants are viable at present).. what is interesting is although the frigates will be armed with US standard family missiles and ESSM the support vessels will be armed with Isreali Barak ER surface-to-air interceptors… which is very very interesting.
She does get around. According to the ship’s Facebook account, she arrived 7 February in La Coruña (to spend the weekend there, most likely). After that, exercises with allies were to follow. Three days ago, she did a RAS with FGS Bonn, no whereabouts given. This report popping up every couple of weeks has this cloggie puzzled. Last year, she was the first of her class to receive a new main gun, but whether it is operational already is unknown, the Royal Netherlands Navy is tight lipped about that.
Bonn seemed to be off Plymouth most of last week. Then again, the Marine tracking sites are not very accurate anymore.
Maybe both ships were actually in that area. After all, from La Coruña to Plymouth is just a couple of days sailing.