The Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping augmented by Maritime Unmanned Systems (REPMUS) is an annual Portuguese-led multinational large-scale experimentation exercise. It brings together operational communities, academia and industry to develop and test operational concepts, technological advances, and new progress in sensors, actuators, command, control, and communications, as well as tactics and procedures related to Maritime Unmanned Systems (MUS). The COE supports the exercise by coordinating the Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) Warfare Group and assisting academic and industry partners in developing new MUS to conduct military environmental assessments.
As custodian of the ATP-32 publication, the COE is splitting ATP-32 to make it a standalone REA procedures publication, and the Military Oceanography Support Procedures should become AMETOCP-1 publication. The Centre will coordinate the same writing team to review ATP-32 and create AMETOCP-1, with the aim of simultaneous approval of both documents. In the meantime, the current version of ATP-32 will continue to be used.
The Dynamic Messenger Exercise (DYMS) is a biennial NATO exercise focused on the integration of MUS into NATO Naval Forces. The COE gives direct support to the Commanding Task Force during the execution phase, and supports HQ MARCOM during the whole exercise, providing the enhanced Recognized Environmental Picture with REA information and data acquired and processed during the overlap exercise week between REPMUS and DYMS exercises.
The COE is involved in the Federated Mission Networking (FMN) long-term project, participating in the Geospatial, Meteorological, Oceanographic (METOC) and Space Weather WGs and leading and coordinating the METOC Focus Area Drafting Team (i.e., for the definition of METOC data and exchange standards and requirements). FMN project provides a NATO process and framework for nations to adopt interoperability standards and develop their capabilities according to a common plan synchronized in time. The requirements of the FMN systems will be validated in the CWIX exercise.
The Centre participated as an observer in the NATO Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise (CWIX), integrated into the Portuguese delegation. At present, the COE is contributing with its own capability, focusing on exploring a catalogue web service that can federate all the other catalogues that nations bring to the exercise to share their GEOMETOC information. The Centre is also assessing the alignment of each national capability (participating in the GEOMETOC Focus Area) with the respective Geospatial and METOC FMN roadmaps. In the future, the COE will be the deputy leader of the GEOMETOC Focus Area in this exercise.
During the annual editions of Neptune Strike exercises, the COE provides operational METOC support to STRIKFORNATO.
The COE participates in the DACIA/TOMIS exercise, a biennial multinational operational exercise hosted by the Romanian Naval Forces in Constanta/Mangalia and the western part of the Black Sea, which aims to provide high-end training in the full spectrum of naval warfare, with a focus on mine warfare and REA. The Centre is supporting the Romanian Navy in the coordination of the REA Warfare Group, REA Plan and C2 of the REA exercise series and REA technology assessment.
Through these and other initiatives, such as lecturing at the NATO School in Oberammergau for the NATO Geospatial and METOC Orientation Courses, the Maritime GEOMETOC COE continues to play a crucial role in enhancing NATO's maritime operational capabilities to ensure effective and efficient mission outcomes in complex and dynamic environments.