Gliders assist exercise PROUD MANTA 11

Hydro Intrernational - 

From 04-17 February 2011, ten NATO nations will provide six submarines, nineteen aircraft (including ship based helos) and eight surface ships to take part in Proud Manta 11, NATO's largest annual Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise.

This year's MANTA will include, for the first time, maritime gliders (low cost autonomous undersea vehicles).

The gliders are to support experiments related to operational employment of autonomous vehicles as part of a larger operation. Also tested will be the use of these vehicles to collect in-situ three-dimensional environmental data to support improved ASW planning and decision-making tools. 

The exercise will take place in the Ionian Sea to the Southeast of Sicily. Forces are provided by Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

Six submarines from Greece (1), Italy (1), Spain (1), Turkey (2) and the United States of America (1) are scheduled to join the exercise. Each submarine will have the opportunity of being a hunter as well as the hunted. NATO surface ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (with an Italian flagship and a German frigate), a Belgian frigate, a French destroyer, an Italian destroyer, and frigate, an Italian auxiliary ship, and a US destroyer will participate in the exercise.

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