Exercise Sharpshooter - a collaborative effort between Inzpire, QinetiQ and the Royal Navy's Fleet Operational Standards and Training (FOST) unit - offers a unique and immersive training experience that prepares Royal Navy teams for the challenges they may face on global deployments.
Modern naval warfare is becoming increasingly complex. With adversaries employing sophisticated tactics and leveraging emerging technologies, the Royal Navy requires advanced, realistic training exercises that can accurately reflect the evolving threat landscape.
Taking place at a QinetiQ operated site on the West Coast of Wales, Exercise Sharpshooter provides a unique opportunity for the Royal Navy to train under operational safety regulations, with live ammunition.
As a trusted provider of tailored training solutions to the UK Armed Forces, we work closely with FOST and QinetiQ to develop training scenarios that best replicate the threats encountered by Royal Navy vessels in hostile regions. Our security cleared personnel, use observations and reports from teams on deployment and model adversarial capabilities and methods of operation, with a particular focus on the current threat posed by uncrewed platforms.
Our innovative approach combines live uncrewed targets - provided by QinetiQ's Target Systems business - with synthetic overlays. Our team uses the onboard training system to generate a swarm of simulated targets for the ship’s command team to counter. This creates a dynamic and challenging environment, with them facing over 100 different attack profiles while simultaneously undertaking missions and tasks within the exercise scenario. The emphasis on escalation and rules of engagement prepares the command team for the decision-making required in increasingly congested and complex areas of operation.
From the moment the Royal Navy begin their transit to the training area, units are immersed in the exercise scenario, receiving threat briefs and conducting operational staff work as they would in reality. Inzpire personnel are embedded onboard the ship alongside FOST counterparts to enable this.
Exercise Sharpshooter has been praised by participants and stakeholders alike. Commanding Officer of HMS St Albans, Commander Matthew Teare, described the training as: "a career highlight thanks to the realism of the scenario. A fantastic experience and one which has been hugely beneficial to my ship's company."
Commanding Officer of HMS Dauntless, Commander Ben Dorrington, said:
“The realism of the exercise and training delivered provided a unique opportunity for the ship’s company to demonstrate they are ready to defend, ready to fight and ready to win.”
Beyond the immediate training benefits, the exercise also contributes to broader studies and programmes focused on weapon lethality and the practical application of tactics against modern-day threats. The data collected during the exercise provides valuable insights that inform the Royal Navy's ongoing efforts to maintain a cutting edge, while reducing live training costs and environmental impacts.
Originally focused on testing weapons functionality, Sharpshooter has evolved substantially since its 2019 inception. With multiple iterations occurring 2-3 times per year, the exercise has incorporated increasingly complex scenarios to elevate the Royal Navy's live fire training.
In March 2025, a major milestone was achieved when Sharpshooter involved both aerial and surface targets simultaneously for the first time. QinetiQ's Banshee Whirlwind aerial drones replicated UAS and missile threats, while Hammerhead uncrewed surface vehicles mimicked swarming piracy attacks – all alongside the virtual attacks as part of our customised scenario.
Our ability to deliver simulated targets across a Link 16 network, as well as through onboard training systems, also enables multi-ship or multi-national integration by providing a seamless common operating picture across all participating platforms.
The Sharpshooter team recently demonstrated its ability to take this capability anywhere in the world. The team - embarked with the task group - recently supported the Carrier Strike Group, as well as our NATO allies, in the Mediterranean Sea. We safely provided incoming air and surface threats alongside a substantial air exercise, that included up to 40 live flying F35s.
