The Portuguese Navy is organizing, starting today, the largest international exercise of robotics and unmanned vehicles, REPMUS, which will run until September 25 in Setúbal, with more than 1,500 participants.
In a note sent to the press, the Navy states that the 16th edition of REPMUS – ‘Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems’ – will once again be held in Troia and Sesimbra.
This year, the exercise, described by the Navy as the world’s largest in this field, will involve more than 1,500 participants, coming from 36 navies, more than 60 research and development companies, 13 universities and five NATO entities related to maritime operations and unmanned maritime systems, commonly known as drones.
There will also be more than 300 unmanned maritime systems involved, supported by 14 ships, according to the military branch.
The exercises and demonstrations will take place at the Navy’s Operational Experimentation Center and the Infante D. Henrique Technological Free Zone, “covering an area larger than 400 square nautical miles, equivalent to more than 1,370 square kilometres.”
During REPMUS 2026, “technologies and unmanned systems intended to operate in the different environments that characterize the maritime domain, including surface, subsurface, aerial, and land-based means,” will be tested.
This exercise will enable testing “new capabilities and concepts, promoting collaboration between the Armed Forces, industry, academia and international organizations,” the Navy explains.
Unmanned vehicles, commonly known as drones, can be used in a war context but not only, being useful for maritime surveillance, protection of critical submarine infrastructures (such as submarine cables that cross the Atlantic Ocean), and search-and-rescue missions.
The 16th edition of REPMUS is organized by the Portuguese Navy, in conjunction with the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, the ‘Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation’, the ‘NATO Joint Capability Group Maritime Unmanned Systems’ and the European Defence Agency.
