REPMUS 2024: Swedish and Ukrainian USVs operate as ‘Red Forces'

A Piraya USV pictured at REPMUS in Tróia, Portugal, on 23 September 2024. (Janes/Neil Dee)

Swedish and Ukrainian unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) have participated in NATO's Exercise ‘REPMUS 24' (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems 2024) in Portugal, serving as ‘Red Forces'.

In a briefing by the Portuguese Navy on REPMUS, it was confirmed that Ukraine had participated as a ‘Red Force' during the exercise, alongside Sweden and other assets. A NATO official later confirmed to Janes that Ukrainian Magura V5 USVs had been used, while Janes also understands that Swedish-operated Piraya USVs were used in the exercise.

Speaking online to the media during REPMUS, Michael Stewart, the US chairman of the NATO Naval Armaments Group, said the war in Ukraine has provided lessons on how relatively low-cost unmanned systems can challenge larger naval forces. “Unquestionably, this has been a wake-up call for NATO and the associated navies,” he said. “The ability of relatively small, agile, cost-effective drones to influence naval engagements has accelerated NATO's interest in bolstering its maritime unmanned capabilities.”

The participation of Ukraine was a key aspect of ‘REPMUS 24', he said, with Ukraine serving as a Red Force being “an extraordinary opportunity for NATO to train against a peer that has real-world experience confronting a potential adversary. By acting as the Red Force, Ukraine provides NATO with an invaluable, realistic training environment”.