The Royal Netherlands Navy is at the forefront of a technological revolution in naval defence, actively integrating uncrewed systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and drones into its operations. A five-week mission currently underway off the coast of Den Helder is rigorously testing the capabilities of these autonomous platforms, marking a significant step towards a future where human personnel are kept out of harm's way.
Captain Sjoerd Feenstra, head of the expertise centre for unmanned systems, envisions a future within the next decade where crewed vessels operate alongside a protective ring of autonomous uncrewed systems. This strategic shift is already reflected in the Dutch military budget, which aims for uncrewed systems to undertake more than half of its naval tasks within the next five years. The UK is also making substantial commitments, with plans to spend over £5 billion on similar technology within a comparable timeframe.
Central to these trials is the GeoSea vessel, repurposed from its original role of monitoring seabed windfarms, now serving as a testing hub for advanced platforms. These include 'Noa' drones, 'Defender' autonomous surface vessels, and 'Lobster Robotics' undersea mine mappers. This 'system of systems' approach is designed for flexibility, allowing new technological advancements to be integrated seamlessly as they emerge.
The deployment of uncrewed systems is not a new concept, with drones already playing critical roles in live conflicts globally, including the war in Ukraine and recent operations by the US Navy against Iran. For the Dutch Navy, however, the motivation extends beyond tactical advantage. Captain Feenstra highlights the core objective: to minimise human exposure to danger zones, address the growing complexity and information demands of modern naval operations, and even tackle intrinsically monotonous tasks.
While the benefits are clear, the ethical and operational challenges of integrating AI are being carefully considered. Ferdinand Peters, the software integration lead, acknowledges the risk of AI 'hallucinations' or generating false results. He stresses the importance of designing systems that serve as tools rather than autonomous decision-makers, with human oversight remaining a non-negotiable part of the decision-making chain, particularly regarding lethal force. This echoes long-standing ethical debates, such as those surrounding the Netherlands' 'Goalkeeper' air defence system, which has operated autonomously for over 40 years.
Naval analysts like Lee Willett commend the Dutch approach, noting that a country with labour shortages naturally seeks greater autonomy. He points out that the Netherlands, despite being a relatively small navy, is 'punching above its weight' and setting an example for other nations collaborating on security in the North and Baltic seas. Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, believes this shift is irreversible, not least because uncrewed systems can improve the work-life balance for naval personnel by reducing lengthy deployments at sea, even if they necessitate a different kind of expertise, such as more engineers.