Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans took part in an exercise off the Welsh coast – the ship faced over 100 simulated drone attacks during the training exercise this month
A British warship fought off hundreds of attack drones during a Sharpshooter gunnery exercise.
HMS St Albans demonstrated its capability to counter aerial threats during a Royal Navy training session. As part of the exercise, the force faced more than 100 simulated drone attacks off the Welsh coast. Officials included lessons from recent Red Sea incidents as they marked the first time aerial drones were included in Sharpshooter training.
The practice, run in collaboration with QinetiQ and Fleet Operational Standards and Training (FOST), was created to test the frigate’s gunnery. Commanding officers explained the session incorporated traditional remote-controlled boat threats, as they also aimed to train the operations room teams. The high-tech equipment used in the exercise included Banshee Whirlwind drones launched from the Aberporth Range.
The small but mighty drones can travel at speeds of up to 200 knots. As part of the intense exercise, they soared over the waves to simulate challenging attack profiles. Commander Matthew Teare, HMS St Albans’ Commanding Officer, highlighted the importance of the exercise and said: “The quality of training has been better than I have ever seen. It has been a career highlight thanks to the realism of the scenario. A fantastic experience and one which has been hugely beneficial to my ship’s company.”
Simon Galt, Managing Director Air at QinetiQ, described the session as “invaluable”. Speaking about the main aim of the exercise, he said: “Our aim with Sharpshooter is to ensure as immersive, comprehensive and dynamic a training experience as possible, preparing the ship’s crew for the very current evolving threat landscape. Our joint QinetiQ-Inzpire team delivered over 100 threat profiles across day and night, tailoring the complexity of each scenario as we delivered, according to the ship’s evolving requirements.”
In November, the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dauntless took part in an exercise in the eastern Atlantic with French allies. ‘Exercise Sky Shark’ saw Dauntless, based in Portsmouth, protect the “western coast of Europe from ‘adversary’ naval strikes from Dutch and Spanish warships also taking part in Sky Shark”.
The Royal Navy said: “Additionally, HMS Dauntless safeguarded the exercise group against aerial threats posed by the French Navy’s Rafale jets and underwater threats from a French submarine. HMS Dauntless reached a significant milestone by carrying out a Replenishment at Sea (RAS) with the French naval tanker, FS Somme – the British ship’s first RAS in nearly a decade.”
