INTEGRATING UNCREWED & AUTONOMOUS
SYSTEMS INTO MODERN NAVAL FLEETS
SYSTEMS INTO MODERN NAVAL FLEETS
15-16 July, 2025| Copthorne Tara Hotel, Kensington, London, UK
Conference Day 1: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
BOLSTERING AUKUS AS THE LEADING GLOBAL NAVAL PARTNERSHIP
8:00 am - 8:55 am
REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS
8:55 am - 9:00 am
DEFENCE IQ WELCOME
9:00 am - 9:30 am
CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS AND CONTEXTUAL SETTING
Dr. Craig Sawyer -
Chairman, NATO Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems &,
Deputy Director Strategic Assessment, US DoN
Dr. Craig Sawyer
Chairman, NATO Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems &Deputy Director Strategic Assessment, US DoN
9:30 am - 10:00 am
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: THE GEOSTRATEGIC, ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF AUKUS
Lord Walney -
Vice-Chair,
AUKUS All-Party Parliamentary Group
• Outline of progress made
• Collaboration to accelerate the development of a range of advanced capabilities
• Next steps to deliver the partnership’s potential
10:00 am - 10:30 am
AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENT INTO UNCREWED NAVAL SYSTEMS (UNS)
Commodore Mick Turner -
Director General, Maritime Integrated Capabilities,
Royal Australian Navy
• Developing and deploying various UNS for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike
• Insights into the development and introduction of UNS to complement the Navy’s surface combatant fleet and conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines
• Collaborative programs to leverage shared expertise and resources to advance uncrewed naval technologies
Commodore Mick Turner
Director General, Maritime Integrated CapabilitiesRoyal Australian Navy
10:30 am - 11:00 am
MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING
11:00 am - 11:30 am
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE BLACK SEA CONFLICT – THE US PERSPECTIVE OF UNCREWED SYSTEMS AND STRATEGIC MARITIME TRENDS
Rear Admiral Michael Mattis -
Commander, Task Force SIX SIX (CTF 66),
US Navy
• Insights into Task Force SIX SIX
• The experimentation, development and operational integration of small unmanned surface vessels (sUSVs)
• Black Sea Conflict & Maritime Warfare - The Impact of UxS Strategic Maritime Trends
Rear Admiral Michael Mattis, Commander, Task Force SIX SIX (CTF 66), US Navy
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
ROYAL NAVY DEEP DIVE: VISION FOR NAVAL CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT
Commodore Marcus Hember -
Deputy Director Navy Capability Plans,
Royal Navy
Commodore Marcus Rose - Deputy Director Underwater Battlespace Capability, Develop Directorate, Royal Navy
Commander Michael Hutchinson - Captain of XV Patrick Blackett, Head of Experimentation, Navy X
Bill Biggs - System of Systems Architect, MHC programme, UK MoD
• Insights into the integration of autonomy into the naval fleet
• Case study examples
• Supporting innovation and development through NavyX
Commodore Marcus Rose
Deputy Director Underwater Battlespace Capability, Develop DirectorateRoyal Navy
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
LUNCH AND NETWORKING BREAK
DATA INTEGRATION TO ENHANCE OPERATIONAL COORDINATION
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
PROTOTYPING TO TEST AND REFINE UNS
Captain Andy Berner -
Commanding Officer, Office of Naval Research GLOBAL,
US Navy
• The Uncrewed Maritime Systems Framework
• The next generation of autonomous naval systems
• Collaboration with academic institutions, industry partners, and other defence organisations to drive innovation in uncrewed systems
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: OPERATIONALISING UNCREWED SYSTEMS IN THE MARITIME BATTLESPACE
Dr. Craig Sawyer -
Chairman, NATO Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems &,
Deputy Director Strategic Assessment, US DoN
Nick Childs - Senior Fellow for Naval Forces and Maritime Security, IISS
Dr. Stewart Radcliffe - Head of Solution Innovation - Maritime, Thales UK
David Manley - Professor of Naval Architecture, University College London
Uncrewed systems are playing an increasingly central role in naval operations, particularly in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Mine Warfare, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). This panel will explore how heterogeneous teams of crewed and uncrewed platforms are being deployed in complex maritime environments, and what is required to ensure their effective integration. Key areas of focus include autonomy, command and control, resilience, and capability development.
Discussion Questions:
- What are the most promising operational scenarios for employing mixed teams of crewed and uncrewed systems in ASW, Mine Warfare, and ISR?
- How can swarming behaviours be effectively coordinated and controlled in contested maritime environments?
- In what ways do uncrewed systems enhance situational awareness and support maritime picture management for effective command and control?
- How can navies ensure secure and resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) in GPS-contested or denied environments?
- What role does test and evaluation play in validating uncrewed systems, supporting integration, and accelerating capability development?
- How do we operationalise interoperability with partners and allies for complex maritime environments including heterogeneous teams of crewed and uncrewed platforms?
Dr. Craig Sawyer
Chairman, NATO Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems &Deputy Director Strategic Assessment, US DoN
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
AFTERNOON TEA AND NETWORKING
UTILISING AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS FOR ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
STRATEGIC WARGAMING: ENHANCING DECISION- MAKING FOR NATO UNMANNED CONCEPTS
David Manley -
Professor of Naval Architecture,
University College London
• Wargaming Baltic Sentry
• Identifying Capability gaps and insights into UXV operations
• Outcomes from experimentation and implications for coordinated operations
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
MODERNISING GREECE’S DEFENCE CAPABILITIES THROUGH INVESTMENT IN UNCREWED AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
Commander Michail Pothitos -
Head EU Projects - UxV/C-UxV Systems, R&D - Innovation Directorate,,
Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation
· Overview of current R&D projects
· Emphasis on AI and directed energy weapons
· Ambitions going forward
Commander Michail Pothitos
Head EU Projects - UxV/C-UxV Systems, R&D - Innovation Directorate,Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation
4:30 pm - 4:35 pm
CHAIRMAN'S CLOSING REMARKS AND END OF DAY 1
Dr. Craig Sawyer -
Chairman, NATO Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems &,
Deputy Director Strategic Assessment, US DoN
Dr. Craig Sawyer
Chairman, NATO Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems &Deputy Director Strategic Assessment, US DoN
