Naval Developments: Royal Navy Intercepts Supersonic Missile, Launches First Unmanned Submarine; NATO Conducts Exercises; Russian Submarine Shadowed In British Waters

The May 2025 operational surge aligns with joint carrier strike group operations with Italy in Exercise Med Strike, concluded on May 12, vigilant tracking and shadowing of Russian naval assets.

ATLANTIC OCEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN — The Royal Navy has achieved a historic first by intercepting a supersonic missile during Exercise Formidable Shield 25 off Scotland’s coast on May 15, using HMS Dragon’s Sea Viper system.

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Video, official statement snapshots, photos: British Royal Navy: Crown Copyright.

This milestone, part of a robust May 2025 operational surge, aligns with joint carrier strike group operations with Italy in Exercise Med Strike, concluded on May 12, vigilant tracking and shadowing of Russian naval assets, including the Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar and warships in UK waters, and the naming of the unmanned submarine Orca on May 15.

Spanning April 26 to May 16, 2025, these efforts involved nearly 7,000 personnel in Formidable Shield and over 8,000 in Med Strike, reinforcing NATO’s collective defense against escalating global threats.

This convergence of advanced air defense, maritime coordination, and autonomous technology cements the Royal Navy’s critical role in allied security.

Acronym Index

• NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

• PAAMS: Principal Anti-Air Missile System

• IAMD: Integrated Air and Missile Defense

• CSG: Carrier Strike Group

Historical Context, Perspectives, Analysis: