Off the rugged coast of Scotland, a quiet but groundbreaking transformation is underway in naval warfare. In a scene that could have been lifted from a futuristic thriller, five uncrewed “wolf pack” drone boats swarmed around two Royal Navy warships—HMS Tyne and HMS Stirling Castle—escorting them for 72 hours in a demonstration that marks a new chapter for naval operations. But what made this exercise truly remarkable wasn’t just the high-tech boats or their synchronized maneuvers; it was the fact that the entire flotilla was remotely piloted from 500 miles away, at Portsmouth’s naval base, by personnel aboard the experimental vessel XV Patrick Blackett.
This milestone event, as reported by BBC and Conservative Post, is the result of months of intense trials by the Royal Navy’s Disruptive Capabilities and Technology Office (DCTO) and the Fleet Experimentation Squadron (FXS). The demonstration, which concluded just days before November 2, 2025, showcased not only the technical prowess of the new 7.2-meter autonomous Rattler boats but also the Royal Navy’s commitment to rapidly integrating uncrewed technologies into its fleet.
Each Rattler boat, built on a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) platform, represents the cutting edge of naval engineering. Unlike previous drones, these vessels have been designed from the outset to operate fully uncrewed. For now, each is managed by a two-person team—one piloting the craft, the other overseeing onboard systems and managing the live data streams flowing back to Portsmouth. But the Navy’s vision is clear: in the near future, these boats will be able to operate entirely autonomously, working together as a coordinated swarm or “wolf pack,” pre-programmed with mission profiles and navigational routes, and capable of executing complex operations without direct human input.
“This is a really important moment for the Royal Navy as we progress towards a Hybrid Navy of crewed and uncrewed platforms,” said Commander Michael Hutchinson, Commanding Officer of both the Fleet Experimental Squadron and XV Patrick Blackett, in a statement to Conservative Post. “We have been using autonomous systems for some time, but not like this.” He continued, “These USVs have been built and developed at pace, in a ground-breaking way, alongside a coalition of fantastic local companies. This has been the most exciting project of my career.”
The demonstration was not just a technological showcase—it was a proof of concept for how the Royal Navy could operate in the future. The five Rattler boats, bristling with military-spec sensors, cameras, and modular systems, safely escorted HMS Tyne and HMS Stirling Castle, which were playing the role of foreign warships. The operation was further supported by the P2000 HMS Biter of the Coastal Forces Squadron and a Merlin helicopter, highlighting the integrated approach the Navy is taking with both crewed and uncrewed assets.
According to BBC, the boats’ data—everything from camera feeds to sensor arrays—was streamed live to the operators aboard Patrick Blackett. The entire setup is fully portable, running on a “plug and play” laptop configuration, which means the system can be operated from just about anywhere, whether at sea or on land. This flexibility opens up a world of possibilities for rapid deployment and global operations. The Rattler boats can be moved quickly by air or road and launched from portable slipways, making them ideal for missions far from established naval bases.
The rapid development and deployment of these vessels is itself a story worth telling. In a matter of weeks, the Royal Navy, working hand-in-hand with a consortium of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), took the concept of a custom-built, fully crewless vessel from the drawing board to the open sea. Sailors, Royal Marines, and Army personnel played a direct role in designing, building, testing, and refining the boats, providing real-time feedback that accelerated the project’s timeline. This collaborative approach, as Conservative Post notes, demonstrates the Navy’s intent to remain at the forefront of technological innovation and operational readiness.
Brigadier Jaimie Roylance, the Royal Navy’s Chief Technology Officer, underscored the significance of the achievement. “It is the first time we have been able to field a capable, mission ready, deployable uncrewed system at sea and it is the first major success for the DCTO,” he said. “The work that FXS, the Coastal Forces Squadron, Royal Marines and Army have done to develop not just the platforms, but the way we train them and the way we fight with them has been astonishing and completed in record time.” Roylance added, “There is more work to be done, but I know the team and the wider consortium of SMEs we are working with are up to the task and I am excited about the next project.”
The broader context for this push into autonomy is clear. As Commander Hutchinson pointed out, the impact of autonomous and uncrewed systems on modern warfare has been profound, especially in recent conflicts like Ukraine. “In recent years we have seen the effect that autonomy and uncrewed systems can have at sea, on land and in the air, especially in Ukraine. In the maritime domain in particular the effect has been remarkable, with simple, cheap, one-way effectors used to defeat complex and capable warships and deny them freedom of manoeuvre at sea,” he said. The lesson is unmistakable: to stay ahead, the Royal Navy must embrace and master these new technologies.
But what does this mean for the future of naval warfare? For one, the ability to deploy autonomous vessels at speed and scale could fundamentally alter the calculus of maritime security. These boats are not just for show—they’re adaptable for a range of tasks, from surveillance and reconnaissance to payload delivery and patrol. Their modular design means they can be reconfigured for different missions, and their autonomy packages make them increasingly capable of independent action.
The Royal Navy’s experiment with the Rattler boats is part of a broader strategy to create a “Hybrid Navy,” blending traditional crewed ships with a new generation of uncrewed and autonomous systems. While the Rattler boats are breaking new ground on the surface, other platforms like XV Excalibur are exploring future capabilities for underwater warfare.
As the Royal Navy looks ahead, the lessons learned from this trial will inform not only the next generation of drone boats but also the way sailors and officers are trained. Developing the skills to operate, maintain, and fight alongside autonomous systems is now seen as critical to maintaining a strategic edge.
For now, the sight of a wolf pack of uncrewed boats escorting warships off Scotland is both a glimpse of the future and a testament to how quickly that future is arriving. The Royal Navy’s gamble on rapid innovation appears to be paying off, setting a new standard for what’s possible at sea.
With each successful trial, the line between science fiction and naval reality grows ever thinner—and the world’s oceans just got a little more interesting.
