The Royal Navy has conducted the first flight of a helicopter-sized autonomous drone that is planned to operate from its ships in support of missions, including hunting for hostile submarines.
The Proteus autonomous full-size helicopter – click to enlargePic: Simon Pryor/ Open Government License
Currently known asProteus, the drone has now completed its first flight at Predannack Airfield on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, in the southwest of the UK. This follows "ground running" trials at Leonardo's Yeovil site in Somerset – where the helicopter's systems, sensors and engine were all verified before it was allowed to take to the air.
Proteus was designed and built as a demonstrator for the Royal Navy by defense firm Leonardo, the successor to Westland Helicopters. Unlike some other rotary-wing drones already in service, it is based on an existing crewed helicopter design, Leonardo's AW09 light single-engine aircraft.
The Royal Navy already operates other, smaller drones such as theMalloy T-150 andPeregrine, a remotely operated helicopter drone that has seen service in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman providing surveillance support for missions targeting drug trafficking.
As well as omitting the crew cabin in place of computerised control and navigation systems, Proteus features a modular payload bay where you would otherwise expect passengers to be seated. This is intended to provide flexibility in mission roles, allowing different payloads to be carried by swapping out one module for another one.
These mission roles are likely to include ferrying cargo between Royal Navy ships, or a payload module designed to deploysonobuoy sensors that are used to detect and track submarines, among others.
A discussion of the possible mission roles can be found on defense site Navy Lookouthere.
Proteus is the result of a £60 million (about $80 million) program to deliver advanced Rotary Wing Uncrewed Air Systems (RWUAS) for the Royal Navy.
Its first flight was seemingly brief. The aircraft was tasked with a short test routine operating independently of human operators, but all while under supervision and monitoring by test pilots on the ground.
"The successful first flight of Proteus is a significant step in delivering the Royal Navy's maritime aviation transformation vision, and to demonstrating our steadfast commitment to investing in autonomy as part of a hybrid air wing," said the Royal Navy's Deputy Director for Aviation Future Programmes, Commodore Steve Bolton.
- Britain goes shopping for a rapid-fire missile to help Ukraine hit back
- Finnish cops grill crew of ship suspected of undersea cable sabotage
- US Navy scuttles Constellation frigate program for being too slow for tomorrow's threats
- DragonFire laser to be fitted to Royal Navy ships after acing drone-zapping trials
"Hybrid air wing" means that if Proteus does enter service, it will likely be used alongside crewed helicopters such as theWildcat or the Merlin, which is the Royal Navy's main torpedo-carrying anti-sub weapon platform, rather than replacing them.
The Royal Navy said that autonomous systems are central to theAtlantic Bastion programme announced by the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) last year. This is the force's strategy to protect the North Atlantic from Russian submarines, despite having a dwindling number of crewed vessels available. Only eight sub-hunting type 26 frigates have been ordered, and the gap is going to have to be filled with uncrewed surface ships,uncrewed submarines and aircraft such as Proteus.
Proteus has a one-tonne-plus payload, meaning it can haul plenty of kit to crews in "challenging weather conditions such as high sea and wind states," the RN adds.
There is no currently planned in-service date as Proteus is just a demonstration model at this stage. ®
Biting the hand that feeds IT
