Navantia unveils new NAIAD drone integration system

The NAIAD drone integration system unveiled by Navantia has been updated with new functionalities. Pictured is the shore configuration utilised during the ‘Dynamic Messenger 2023' maritime unmanned systems exercise held in Portugal in September. (Victor Barreira)

Spain's Navantia Sistemas has developed an improved configuration of its Naval Advanced Integrated Autonomous Defence (NAIAD) software-based unmanned systems tactical integration solution with updates and new functionalities, the company's European programme director Angelina Cajade Frías told Janes.

NAIAD is a flexible, open-architecture system designed to serve as an interface for the tactical integration of simultaneous unmanned vehicles (UxVs) with a ship-based combat management system (CMS) and ashore command-and-control station for UxV mission execution.

The new upgraded version now includes the ability to rely on satellite communications (satcom) capability to receive various data (mission status, speed, positioning, and more) and imagery gathered by operating unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the surface ship's CMS, thus generating a common operational picture of the tactical situation of the UxVs.

This will further improve maritime tactical situation awareness to enable the higher echelon command to implement decisions, Cajade Frías said.

Provisions have also been made available to enable the latest version of NAIAD to be plugged into CMSs from other companies. Until now, the NAIAD system was only available for the SCOMBA CMS, which is installed in several surface ships of the Spanish Navy.

At the onboard CMS multifunction consoles, the ship's crew monitors the data and videos received from the UxV integrated by the NAIAD software system and can send mission orders.