The Royal Navy is scheduled to begin live operations of its new unmanned minehunters and survey technology in March of this year.
The remotely operated vessels will include submersibles and surface vehicles designed to hunt down mines and to analyse the oceans and sea floor.
The unmanned vessels will be deployed out of HMNB Clyde. Initial operations are now being carried out by Project Wilton, the name for the Royal Navy's unmanned mine hunting and survey endeavours.
Wilton currently has three boats – two remote controlled and the other manned – as well as multiple underwater vehicles.
This kit will supplement the Royal Navy's current mine hunting missions carried out by the mine countermeasures ships of the Hunt-class and Sandown-class.
The work builds on the ongoing trials of unmanned and autonomous technology carried out by the Royal Navy, Defence Equipment and Support, and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
