Tasked at REPMUS 2026 Three WAM-V Unmanned Surface Vessels Across Five Missions
At REPMUS 2026 in Portugal, Ocean Power Technologies WAM-V unmanned surface vessels (USV) were not positioned as a display. They were assigned work, such as bathymetry survey, inside a mission plan OPT did not write.
Three WAM-V classes supported five mission sets: rapid environmental assessment, mine countermeasures, harbor security, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and above-water warfare. The vessels integrated with U.S. command and control and were the only U.S. unmanned surface vessels to do so during the exercise. U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel also used a WAM-V 22 to train in basic autonomous operations.
That distinction matters. A demonstration shows what a system can do under conditions organized around the technology. Operational tasking asks whether the system can serve someone else’s objectives, schedule, command structure, and personnel.
An operational setting built around integration
REPMUS, short for Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Unmanned Systems, is led by the Portuguese Navy. The 2026 exercise brings together military, research, academic, and industry participants to develop and evaluate unmanned systems in a shared maritime environment. According to the Portuguese Navy, the exercise spans more than 400 square nautical miles and includes more than 300 unmanned maritime systems supported by 14 ships.
Inside that setting, OPT did not define a single showcase scenario. OPT assigned different WAM-V USV classes to distinct missions within the wider exercise.
WAM-V Unmanned Surface Vessel Bathymetric survey data for amphibious support
The WAM-V 8 USV conducted rapid environmental assessment in amphibious surf zones. The vessel collected bathymetric survey data to support landing and raiding forces, then launched from the beach ahead of amphibious operations.
Bathymetry survey data describes underwater depth and terrain. As a result, planners can use this information to understand the nearshore environment before personnel and equipment move through a surf zone. The assignment put a compact unmanned surface vehicle into a practical sequence: launch from shore, survey the operating area, and provide data for the force preparing to use it.
WAM-V Unmanned Surface Vessel Mine countermeasures and harbor security
The WAM-V 16 USV supported mine countermeasures tasking in beach and harbor approaches for harbor security. This work placed the vessel in the nearshore and port environments where access, underwater hazards, and vessel movement can shape the wider operation.
The assignment matched a WAM-V class to a defined operating area and a broader security objective.
Jason Weed, Chief Operating Officer, Ocean Power Technologies
WAM-V 22 Above-water warfare, ISR, and operator training
The WAM-V 22 operated in support of the above-water warfare group. Its tasking included surface-target identification and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
In addition, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel in basic autonomous operations. That moved the system beyond vendor-led execution and into the hands of operational users.
Connected to the command environment
Across the exercise, OPT vessels integrated with U.S. command and control. No other U.S. unmanned surface vessels integrated with U.S. command and control at REPMUS 2026.
For an unmanned vessel, the ability to move and collect data is only part of the requirement. The vessel also has to connect to the environment where operators assign work, monitor activity, and use the information returned. At REPMUS, the WAM-V unmanned surface vessels operated inside that larger structure rather than as isolated platforms.
What the tasking showed
At REPMUS 2026, three WAM-V classes to work across five mission sets. Although the missions differed, the operating test remained consistent. In each case, OPT matched the vessel to the assigned work, connected it to the command environment, and enabled mission personnel to use it.
Together, these assignments show the progression OPT is building toward: from demonstrated capability to operational tasking, from a standalone vessel to an integrated asset, and from vendor operation to operator use. To learn more, explore WAM-V unmanned surface vehicles or contact OPT to discuss integration and mission requirements.
