- UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía said its autonomous control system was used during U.S. Special Forces exercises in Cartagena, Spain.
- The system was integrated on NEWT21’s FOG unmanned surface vessel and completed a fully autonomous navigation plan.
UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía said its autonomous control system was successfully demonstrated during recent U.S. Special Forces maritime exercises in Cartagena, Spain, where the technology was integrated aboard NEWT21’s FOG unmanned surface vessel.
The company announced the development on April 9, saying the exercises validated the performance of its guidance and navigation system in a real operational setting and highlighted the growing role of autonomous surface platforms in maritime security missions.
At the heart of the event was the FOG USV, a crewless surface platform operated with UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía’s autopilot and guidance technology.
During the drills, the vessel completed a fully autonomous navigation plan, maintaining stable movement, accurate route tracking, and reliable performance under operational constraints. Rather than a laboratory demonstration or technology preview, the system was used in an actual military exercise involving U.S. Special Forces maritime units, giving the platform a verified operational setting.
The company said the vessel successfully handled several advanced functions during the exercise, including dynamic route adjustment relative to other moving vessels, collision avoidance during approach to a mothership, and continuous onboard health monitoring.
The fault-tolerant design is particularly relevant for military use, as it is intended to keep the platform operating safely even if part of the system encounters a problem.
During the Cartagena exercise, the USV remained stable while executing its assigned route, which the company described as a successful validation of the system under real-world conditions. The Cartagena drills offered a practical example of how these systems are being integrated into modern multi-domain operations that combine naval and special operations capabilities.
The cooperation between UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía and NEWT21 was central to the exercise, with the guidance system and the surface vessel platform working as a single autonomous package.
The successful route execution and collision-avoidance performance provide a clear operational benchmark for the platform’s current level of maturity.