In accordance with the directives of the higher authorities, and under the supervision of the Commander of the Naval Force, a delegation of engineering officers from the Ira qi Naval Force Command participated as observers in the international exercise (REPMUS 2025), organized by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Republic of Portugal.
REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems) is considered one of the largest advanced exercises in the field of robotic experiments, unmanned naval systems, and the employment of artificial intelligence technologies.
This year, the exercise witnessed the participation of more than 2,000 personnel and 260 systems and companies from 22 allied countries, including the United States and NATO members, in addition to observers from 13 countries, including Iraq, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, and South Korea.
The exercise included multiple areas of focus, most notably: protection of seaports and oil facilities, maritime search and rescue, continuous coastal surveillance, naval mine warfare, underwater warfare, combating unmanned vehicles and ships, and integrated multi-domain command and control.
The Iraqi Naval Force Command affirms that participation in such exercises contributes to enhancing field expertise and developing technical and professional capabilities, in line with modern developments in the field of maritime security and defense, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
This year, the exercise exceeded expectations, with attendance soaring to around 3,800 participants, with 260 systems from 22 nations involved. They were joined by observers from another 13 countries - including Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Estonia, Iraq, Latvia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, and South Korea - underscoring the depth of international cooperation, NATO reported.
In another development, the President of the Iraqi Military Academy, Ahmed Imran Abd, received last week Major General Christoph, Commander of the NATO training mission in Iraq, accompanied by a high-level delegation from the mission.
In the presence of the Academy’s staff, the meeting discussed aspects of joint cooperation in the fields of training, qualification, and development, to strengthen the academy’s capacities and raise the standards of officer preparation in line with the latest global military curricula and practices.
The meeting also discussed expanding cooperation with the NATO mission through courses, training workshops, and exchange of military and technical expertise, in addition to supporting curricula and developing training staff to keep pace with the needs of the Iraqi army.
For his part, Major General Christoph praised the advanced professional level of the Iraqi military academy, affirming NATO’s commitment to continuing partnership in training and development in a way that enhances the capabilities of the Iraqi Armed Forces. (Iraq’s Ministry of Defense; NATO; Photo © Iraq Ministry of Defense)
