A next-generation unmanned system that could be used to protect the UK's future warships was unveiled by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace at the DSEi exhibition in London in early September 2019. The technology - developed as part of the UK's Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST) 13 project - was installed on a 13m unmanned craft designed to manoeuvre around a naval task force whilst under remote control. The systems installed onboard the craft can be used to identify threats such as mines or collect intelligence on enemy ships. The equipment was put through its paces in a demonstration at the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition and conference in London, where it 'protected' HMS Argyll in a harbour force protection operation. Installed on a PAC 24 rigid inflatable boat, the technology enabled the craft to navigate and detect possible threats and feed the information back to HMS Argyll.
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