It's a mix of drones, swarm tactics and Baltic drills for the Royal Navy's little warships

Royal Navy patrol boats have arrived in the Baltic to help test drone swarm tactics and underwater robot systems as part of a major Nato exercise.

Six vessels – HMS Archer, Biter, Dasher, Example, Pursuer and Smiter – are taking part in Baltops, Nato's flagship Baltic exercise now in its 53rd year.

The patrol vessels are part of the Royal Navy's Coastal Forces Squadron and are some of the smallest commissioned warships in the fleet.

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Two of the patrol craft will work with the Royal Navy's Mine Threat and Exploitation Group, using the ships as launch pads for unmanned underwater vehicles monitoring the seabed.

The other four boats will test surface and aerial drones with the US Navy, including simulating swarm attacks to challenge other participants' defences.

"There's a huge focus on unmanned underwater and surface vehicle presence – for which P2000 are an ideal platform," said Lieutenant Sophie Tulloch, Commanding Officer of HMS Biter.

Baltops 2025 is taking place across 40,000 square miles of sea from Jutland to the Bay of Gdańsk, with coordination run from Nato's headquarters in Lisbon.

Additional Royal Navy staff are based in Ustka, Poland, where some of the most dynamic phases of training will take place.

For some of the 30 or so sailors on the deployment, this is their first time at sea and first operational mission.

"Not only do they get hands-on exposure to a live multi-national exercise," said Lt Tulloch, "but the P2000 are also small enough to explore and make the most of ports in countries all over the region."

Having transited the Kiel Canal to avoid a 300-mile detour, the Royal Navy ships began with several weeks of preparation, including training with the German Navy's damage control school in Neustadt and visiting the naval officer school in Mürwik.

Due to limited facilities on board, the vessels typically dock each night, allowing crews to visit smaller harbours inaccessible to larger warships and take in the sights. 

Once Baltops concludes, the patrol boats will represent the UK at Kiel Week, one of the world's largest maritime festivals.