US 5th Fleet’s newest technology task force – Task Group 59.1 (TG-59.1) – has conducted the latest iteration of the fleet’s ‘Digital Talon’ maritime uncrewed systems (MUS) technology exploitation and integration exercise.
The exercise took place in early November in US 5th Fleet’s area of operations (AOO), which encompasses Middle East waters from the northern Gulf, across the northern Indian Ocean, to the northern Red Sea. These waters include the Straits of Hormuz and Bab-al-Mandeb straits maritime choke points.
‘Digital Talon 3.0’, the exercise’s third iteration, tested the electronic and mechanical effectiveness of robotic and autonomous systems, the remote launch of a loitering mission, over-the-horizon (OTH) communications capabilities between uncrewed systems, and autonomous, vertical launch and recovery of an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) from an uncrewed surface vessel (USV), US 5th Fleet said, in a statement released on 24 November.
TG-59.1 was established in January 2024 as an operational task group under Task Force 59 (TF-59); it focuses on integrating MUS and human operators to build regional maritime security, including through testing industry MUS solutions. TF-59 itself, established in September 2021, focuses on integrating MUS and artificial intelligence into maritime operations to support maritime security requirements. To date, TF-59 has tested, upgraded, evolved, and operated more than 20 different MUS vehicles.
The first two ‘Digital Talon’ exercises took place in October 2023 and November 2023. While these earlier iterations tested advanced lethality and kinetic applications for MUS, ‘Digital Talon 3.0’ tackled more advanced tactics.
In the statement, TG-59.1 commanding officer Lieutenant Luis Echeverria said ‘Digital Talon 3.0’ expanded MUS systems’ OTH capabilities.
“As with all pioneering ventures and first-of-its-kind feats, there are plenty of challenges to overcome, [and] lessons to be analyzed,” TG-59.1 executive officer Lieutenant Samuel Hendy – from the UK Royal Navy – added. “It all combines to further benefit 5th Fleet’s understanding and employment of this state-of-the-art warfare.”
Other assets that participated in ‘Digital Talon’ included US Navy mine-countermeasures and US Coast Guard fast-response vessels, plus US Central Command special operations forces representatives.
by Dr. Lee Willett
