During the exercise, Puma unmanned aerial systems carried out forward reconnaissance missions, transmitting real-time targeting information to Wildcat helicopter crews.
The UK Royal Navy’s Wildcat helicopter teams recently trained alongside unmanned systems during the three-week Tamber Shield exercise conducted in Norway’s fjord region. The drills, organized under the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force framework, focused on countering fast-moving littoral and coastal threats in complex maritime environments.
The exercise involved Wildcats from 815 Naval Air Squadron equipped with Martlet missiles and Sting Ray torpedoes operating in coordination with Puma remotely piloted aircraft.
Drone Integration in Multi-Domain Warfare
Throughout the exercise, Puma drones were used for forward scouting and surveillance tasks, relaying targeting and situational awareness data back to Wildcat crews to support strike and engagement operations.
Opposing-force activities included Royal Air Force electronic warfare specialists from Cumbria simulating infrared- and radar-guided missile threats. This enabled Wildcat crews to rehearse evasive maneuvers while deploying live airborne defensive countermeasures under realistic combat conditions.
In the maritime domain, P2000-class patrol vessels HMS Archer (P264), HMS Biter (P270), and HMS Example (P165) acted as hostile fast-attack craft, creating persistent pressure in the surface battlespace and testing the crews’ response capabilities.
