Dutch Frigate Intercepts Seven Drones in Hybrid NATO Drill Off Welsh Coast
Off the Welsh coast during Exercise Sharpshooter, the Royal Netherlands Navy’s frigate HNLMS Evertsen intercepted seven live targets (five Banshee Whirlwind drones and two Hammerhead unmanned surface vessels) in a three-day hybrid live-synthetic drill coordinated by QinetiQ at Aberporth. The exercise, the first time a NATO partner joined the format, tests multi-domain defense and crew readiness under high-tempo conditions and highlights costs and interoperability hurdles for broader NATO adoption.