The IRIS system, developed by the technological multinational GMV for the General Directorate of Armament and Material (DGAM-SDG PLATIN), has participated in an outstanding manner in NATO’s REPMUS 22 exercise. REP(MUS), Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping Augmented by Maritime Unmanned Systems, is the largest military exercise organized by NATO with the experimental participation of unmanned naval systems (air, surface and submarine), and among its objectives is to demonstrate the capacity technological and operational, current and potential of NATO and the different allied nations, together with the experimentation and development of C4I systems (command and control systems) with the support of the participating industries.
Within the new edition of the REP(MUS) 22 exercise, which took place between September 5 and 23 in the Troia Peninsula and Sesimbra (Portugal) and led by the Portuguese Navy, the IRIS system has demonstrated its versatility and level of interoperability for the integration of the unmanned vehicles of the participating Spanish companies (ALPHA, SWARMING and AIRFOX) with the rest of the command and control systems, allowing the monitoring and exploitation of information at the command posts and facilitating its use in various operating scenarios.
IRIS, through the implementation of the I2I protocol, has exchanged traces of the UxVs and the assignment control of different missions (reconnaissance, patrol or escort) between the allied C2 systems and the Spanish UxVs, allowing the complete flow between assignment and execution. To this end, IRIS provides UxV manufacturers with a solution that allows easy integration into NATO environments, complying with the different standardized protocols (STANAG4559, FFT, NVG or Link16) and that enables the dissemination of information of interest to command posts ( such as traces, areas, tasks, image and streaming video).
The interconnection between the unmanned vehicles and IRIS has been carried out using UXV-specific communications and 5G technology deployed by Telefónica with excellent results. GMV has been congratulated by the rest of the participants for fully meeting the integration objectives and participating alongside the Americans and British in redefining protocols and improving procedures for future versions of the I2I protocol for its standardization. Additionally, during the exercise, the TALOS command and control system was used, which made it possible to present the “Tactical Picture” information of the exercise in a complementary manner.
The IRIS system developed by GMV within the RAPAZ programme, for the DGAM’s SDG PLATIN, currently offers a high ISR interoperability capacity (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), essential for military operations. They help develop and maintain the required level of situational awareness, and provide information and intelligence to decision makers and decision makers during operations. It also offers a simplified interface to integrate sensors and platforms in the command and control and intelligence network, facilitating its interoperability with other national and allied C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems and media, and allows the integration of additional UXV means to the participants in the REPMUS exercise that will culminate in 2023.
