The German Navy is seeking to expand its capabilities by introducing naval drones.

According to Hartpunkt, the decision was made amid the massive use of unmanned systems during the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war.

This year, the German Navy plans to test naval drones as part of the Future Combat Surface Systems (FCSS) program. It is expected that these devices will be able to operate in swarm mode and strike enemy targets.

The operational readiness of the unmanned fleet is expected to be achieved by 2029.

The German military believes that the need for large ocean-going ships will remain relevant.

At the same time, it is proposed to give the near sea areas under the control of drones.

Earlier, the German Navy has already gained positive experience in using unmanned vessels during the testing of the BlueWhale underwater drone in November 2024.

The system was provided to the fleet as part of the cooperation between the Israeli company IAI and the German company Atlas Elektronik.

Development of the unmanned fleet in Europe

It was recently reported that Thales handed over the first autonomous minesweeper to the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.

The drones were developed under the French-British Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) program.

The program was launched in 2019, and later, in 2020, France and the UK signed a joint contract.

According to Thales, the system is protected from cyberattacks and equipped with artificial intelligence algorithms to improve the efficiency of tasks.