On October 11, the high seas patrol vessel (PHM) Commandant Ducuing returned to its base port of Toulon. During this deployment of more than a month, the Ducuing took part in the combined demonstration and exercise REPMUS and DYNAMIC MESSENGER in Portugal as well as in the operational cooperation activity with the Tunisian navy HIPPOCAMPE 22, in the Mediterranean.
Featuring the SMDM (Navy Mini-Drone System), the latest Navy-qualified aerial drone system, Commander Ducuingrepresented the French Navy in Portugal in September 2022 during REPMUS and DYNAMIC MESSENGER, two major NATO events for the implementation of aerial, surface and submarine drones bringing together 9 nations. During the REPMUS demonstration, the PHM implemented the SMDM in a wide variety of situations: establishing the tactical situation on the area, asymmetric warfare, valuable unit escort, building visit, amphibious landing, etc. He then took part in the DYNAMIC MESSENGER exercise in southern Portugal during which, surrounded by 18 NATO combat ships, the Aliaca drones of the SMDM distinguished themselves in their contribution to the location and interception of a building carrying illegal weapons.
After leaving the Atlantic, Commander Ducuing was deployed in early October off the Tunisian coast to participate in HIPPOCAMPE 22. For this annual edition of operational cooperation, the mutual training axes between the two navies were the action of the at Sea, Maritime Safety and Security. Jointly with the Tunisian patrol boats Syphax and Carthage , Commander Ducuing practiced various cooperation missions, such as the assistance of a ship on fire, the rescue of shipwrecked people, the fight against asymmetric threats, the establishment tactical situation or the fight against drug trafficking.
REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping augmented by Maritime Unmanned Systems): Annual technical experimentation of NATO drones bringing together soldiers from ten nations, the permanent NATO mine warfare group in the Atlantic (SNMCMG1), industrialists and researchers.
DYNAMIC MESSENGER: Large-scale NATO exercise over four days centered on the use of drones for the benefit of a maritime air force.
HIPPOCAMPE: Operational cooperation activity between the French and Tunisian navies to consolidate interoperability between their units, which contribute to stability in the central Mediterranean. It aims to confirm the ability of both parties to operate jointly and respond to a crisis situation at sea.
