US and UAE naval forces have completed their first unmanned systems and artificial intelligence (AI) bilateral exercise in the Arabian Gulf.
During the event, the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) operated four surface drones while its counterpart deployed five unmanned vessels.
The US team included an Ocean Aero Triton, an L3Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13, and two Saildrone Explorers.
Bolstering Detection Capabilities
In the exercise, NAVCENT’s Task Force 59 and Emirati personnel launched drones off the coast of the UAE, where they performed various missions.
The demonstrations included video and image capture of nearby vessels using integrated onboard camera sensors.
Data gathered from the sea was relayed by the drones to centers ashore. At headquarters, AI-enabled systems processed, identified, and classified the information.
“This exercise allowed us to further train our artificial intelligence platforms to sort through new data sets, which will ultimately enhance our detection capabilities,” Task Force 59 Lead Exercise Planner Lt. Jay Faylo stated.
“It has been a tremendous opportunity doing this with our Emirati partners who are at the leading edge of technology in the region.”
Task Force 59
NAVCENT Task Force 59 was established in 2021 to support unmanned systems and AI-related US naval operations in the Middle East.
Since then, the group has operated different unmanned systems across installations in Aqaba, Bahrain, and Jordan.
Task Force 59 leverages the region’s climate, geography, and strategic importance to further develop associated technologies.