The Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) De Zeven Provinciën-class air-defence frigate HNLMS Evertsen has successfully completed a series of advanced live-firing drills targeting unmanned systems during the UK naval Exercise “Sharpshooter” in December 2025. Evertsen became the first NATO naval vessel to participate in this high-end training activity, which is designed to address evolving modern maritime threats.

Exercise Sharpshooter is organised by UK-based defence technology company QinetiQ, operating under a long-term partnering agreement with the UK Armed Forces. The exercise took place at the UK Ministry of Defence’s test and evaluation facility in Aberporth, located on the west coast of Wales. The training environment combines live and synthetic scenarios to replicate complex, real-world operational conditions.

During the exercise, HNLMS Evertsen conducted live engagements against unmanned systems, including those simulating coordinated swarm attacks. Live targets provided by QinetiQ included the Banshee Whirlwind unmanned aerial vehicle and the Hammerhead unmanned surface vehicle. These assets were used to generate additional virtual threats such as ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and hostile aircraft, significantly increasing the realism and complexity of the training scenarios.

The three-day exercise scenario focused on the defence of critical maritime assets in contested waters. Operational procedures were thoroughly tested, covering the full engagement chain from threat detection and tracking to engagement and neutralisation. According to QinetiQ, HNLMS Evertsen successfully simulated the tracking and neutralisation of five UAVs and two USVs, fully achieving its training objectives.

Sharpshooter highlights NATO navies’ growing emphasis on countering unmanned and multi-domain threats, while enhancing integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) capabilities in a highly realistic operational environment.