From Seabed to Space: Rheinmetall Trials Networked Systems for Maritime Protection.
Rheinmetall Demonstrates New Maritime Security Technology at Portugal’s REPMUS26.
REPMUS 2026: Rheinmetall is demonstrating a new approach to maritime security at a major multinational exercise in Portugal, where navies, defence companies and research organisations are testing how unmanned systems can work together to protect critical infrastructure.
The German defence technology group is taking part in REPMUS26 — Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems — on the Troia Peninsula and in surrounding Portuguese waters from 31 August to 25 September 2026.
The exercise is designed to test unmanned maritime technologies in realistic operating conditions. For Rheinmetall, the central message is that the future of maritime security will depend not only on how capable individual drones, sensors or other platforms are, but also on how effectively they can communicate and operate as part of a wider network.
Rheinmetall has been contributing to REPMUS since 2024, focusing on its role as a systems integrator. In practical terms, that means bringing different technologies together so that operators can use information from multiple systems as part of one operational picture.
Why networking matters at sea
Modern ports and coastal areas contain infrastructure that is essential to national economies and global trade. Ports handle energy supplies, raw materials, manufactured goods and other commodities, while shipping routes connect countries and markets around the world.
Protecting this infrastructure can be complicated because potential threats may come from, or move through, different parts of the maritime environment.
Rheinmetall’s approach is therefore based on networking unmanned systems across different domains — from underwater sensors and surface platforms to systems operating at greater distances.
The aim is to combine information from these different sources and give operators a clearer picture of what is happening around a port or coastal area.
Instead of relying on one sensor or one unmanned vehicle, a networked system can potentially draw on multiple sources of information. This could help identify unusual activity earlier and allow personnel to decide what response is appropriate.
The emphasis is on what Rheinmetall describes as a “multidimensional operational picture”. Put simply, the technology is intended to turn large amounts of information from different systems into a picture that human operators can understand and act upon.
REPMUS 2026 military exercise.
A mobile command centre
One of the main elements of Rheinmetall’s contribution at REPMUS26 is a containerised mobile mission-control system.
The relocatable setup is being used as a command-and-control centre for the German Navy during the exercise, with a particular focus on operational port security.
The containerised design is significant because it allows the command capability to be moved and deployed where it is needed rather than being tied permanently to a particular facility.
At the centre of the system is Rheinmetall Battlesuite, which the company says is built around Tactical Core Middleware developed by blackned GmbH.
The architecture is designed to provide an open environment in which sensors, effectors and mission applications from different technology providers can be integrated.
That interoperability is an important part of the experiment. Military and security organisations often operate equipment made by different companies and developed at different times. Connecting those systems can be as important as developing new hardware.
Testing underwater sensors
A particular area of focus at REPMUS26 is the use of unmanned underwater sensors.
Underwater monitoring presents a different challenge from surveillance above the surface. Conventional communications can be more difficult underwater, while the environment itself is difficult to observe continuously.
Rheinmetall says the trials are intended to explore how unmanned underwater sensors supplied by different industry partners can contribute to a persistent operational picture.
The company also wants operators to be able to control several unmanned systems, potentially made by different manufacturers, through a common user interface.
This is intended to simplify operations. Rather than requiring personnel to switch between separate systems, interfaces and control stations, a common architecture could allow information and control functions to be brought together.
The exercise therefore serves as more than a demonstration of individual pieces of equipment. It is also a test of whether those pieces can work together in a realistic environment.
REPMUS 2026 military exercise.
From prototype to operational capability
Gregor Mannherz, Head of the Rheinmetall Delegation, said REPMUS provides an opportunity to test prototype developments under realistic conditions and work directly with naval customers and government agencies.
The company says this interaction can help it refine its products and accelerate development by identifying practical requirements during experimentation.
That approach reflects a broader shift towards experimentation with unmanned systems. Rather than developing technology in isolation and introducing it only after it has been completed, exercises such as REPMUS allow companies and military users to test concepts in demanding environments and identify where changes are needed.
For maritime security, the potential benefit lies in creating systems that can collect information continuously, combine data from different sources and help personnel make decisions more quickly.
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A wider test of maritime interoperability
Rheinmetall’s participation also highlights the growing importance of interoperability among NATO partners.
Critical maritime infrastructure does not exist in isolation. Commercial ports, naval facilities and shipping routes can form part of wider regional networks, while security responsibilities can involve multiple countries and organisations.
REPMUS26 provides a setting in which those organisations can test technologies and operating concepts together.
For Rheinmetall, the exercise is consequently a test of a broader idea: that maritime security can increasingly be built around interconnected networks of unmanned systems rather than individual platforms operating separately.
The results of such trials will help determine how quickly these concepts can move from prototypes and demonstrations towards operational use.
At REPMUS26, the focus is therefore not simply on whether an unmanned vehicle can perform a particular task. The bigger question is whether multiple systems, sensors and operators can function together as one coordinated capability — potentially creating a more persistent view of activity around ports, coastal waters and other strategically important maritime infrastructure.
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