Out of This World

Video by Joseph Bullinger

SoSNIE Stringer and SOTs- Naval experiment; unmanned vessels and technology

Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic

March 19, 2025 | 4:00

A naval experiment in Charleston, South Carolina, tested state-of-the-art technologies on land, sea and air. The four-day experiment ran from March 17 to 20 and stress-tested technology used for a variety of essential Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities, including those connected with autonomous aircraft, vehicles and unmanned maritime vessels.

The annual technological experiment hosted by Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic is known as the System of Systems Naval Integration Experiment (SoSNIE). This is the seventh year the command has hosted an event that continues to grow its presence within the military technology community.

The 2025 SoSNIE consisted of approximately 45 systems using four unmanned surface vessels, five unmanned aerial systems, and manned aircraft, including a U.S. Army AH-64E Apache v6 attack helicopter from McEntire Joint National Guard Base, in Richland County, South Carolina, and a C-17A Globemaster from the 437th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston. NIWC Atlantic also received significant support from the 628th Air Base Wing at Joint Base Charleston through landing and refueling operations; and safety and security measures such as electromagnetic radiation calculations and bomb sweeps. The event attracted approximately 240 active participants and attendees, including several military distinguished visitors.