The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, has visited a facility in Portsmouth dedicated to the advancement of maritime technology.
Adm Zambellas visited the Centre for Maritime Intelligent Systems (CMIS), in Portsdown Technology Park, to see some of the cutting edge technology focussed on using unmanned boats, underwater vehicles and aircraft in a maritime environment.
The facility brings together specialist teams including, academics, scientists, engineers and naval experts.
With funding from Government, Industry and the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, the dedicated research centre is designed to build on the UK’s leading expertise in next-generation maritime intelligent systems, delivering a broad range of solutions such as mine counter measures and long-duration intelligence gathering.
It is a market that could be worth an estimated £9 billion-a-year for the UK economy.
The First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, said:
The Royal Navy is pursuing a powerful instinct to exploit maritime autonomous systems, and we have been working with the Defence Growth Partnership for over a year now, in support of the Prime Minister’s initiative to deliver an innovative, competitive and vibrant Defence sector.
The Centre of Excellence will help to transform not just how we deliver maritime security, but also help invigorate the global market for this new, leading-edge and game-changing technology.
The CMIS centre is supported by the Defence Growth Partnership (DGP) – a joint initiative between Government and Industry to strengthen and grow the UK’s defence sector.
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Image: Royal Navy