The Royal Navy is currently hosting a training exercise it's dubbing'robot wars' off the western coasts of Scotland and Wales. The exercise, officially called Unmanned Warrior (which is an equally cool name), is the first of its kind for the Royal Navy and features more than 50 vehicles, sensors and systems from more than 40 manufacturers of military technology. Royal Navy Commander Peter Pipkin says the "the technologies demonstrated in Unmanned Warrior have the potential to fundamentally change the future of Royal Navy operations just as the advent of steam propulsion or submarines did." Despite the focus on automation he also offers assurance that the intention is not to "take people out of the loop", but rather to "enhance" what they do and extend our "reach and efficiency using intelligent robotics at sea." Military ranges and sites in Benbecula, Kyle of Lochalsh and off Applecross are being used for the robot wars, which will see autonomous military technology being tested not only on the surface of the sea, but underwater and in the air, too, until October 20. BAE Systems, whose Pacific Class 950 Unmanned Rigid Inflatable Boat is taking part in the exercise, has called the event the world's first large-scale demonstration of "innovative maritime robotic systems."

The Royal Navy has tested an unmanned speedboat near Tower Bridge in advance of a naval drone exercise off the UK coast this autumn. To the delight of tourists, Tower Bridge swung open to let through the sleek, low-slung craft, known as Mast (Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed). Accompanied by the patrol craft HMS Archer, the 32ft-long Mast spent an hour on Monday weaving between pleasure boats and goods barges at a moderate pace, heading up the river towards Westminster before returning downriver. Although it is capable of navigating and avoiding collisions autonomously and can be operated via remote control, Mast had a coxswain on board to take control if needed because of Port of London bylaws, which also limited the speeds at which it could travel. Mast is being developed with research funding from the Ministry of Defence's science and technology laboratory, to explore how well such vessels function autonomously.