Uncrewed surface vehicle completes 1,100-nautical-mile transit to NATO exercise
NewsSeptember 26, 2025
LA CIOTAT, France. Exail’s DriX O-16 uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) completed a 1,100-nautical-mile voyage from La Ciotat, France, to Troia, Portugal, to participate in NATO’s REPMUS 2025 exercise, the company announced in a statement.
The 16-meter USV traveled past the Balearic Islands and through the Strait of Gibraltar in six days without port calls, operating under supervised autonomy from Exail’s Remote Operation Center in La Ciotat, the statement reads. The transit was designed to demonstrate the platform’s ability to operate across open waters and congested sea lanes while maintaining situational awareness and decision-making, the company says.
During the voyage, the DriX O-16 also conducted seabed mapping using a Kongsberg EM304 multibeam echosounder, showing its ability to collect hydrographic data while underway. According to the statement, the mission highlights the operational maturity of long-endurance USVs and their capacity to deploy to theater without extensive logistical support.
