Royal Navy: Puma drone steers Merlin in radar-free trial

The Royal Navy has used a Puma drone to guide a crewed Merlin helicopter during a live operation in the Atlantic, marking the first time unmanned and manned aircraft have worked in tandem in this way.

The Puma drone, weighing just a few kilograms and with a wingspan of 9 feet (2.7 meters), is one of the smallest systems used by the Fleet Air Arm. It can fly for up to two hours and is capable of providing high-resolution reconnaissance imagery, either live or recorded. It’s operated remotely from ships or land-based stations and can be launched by hand.

Puma has been in service with 700X Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Culdrose, for several years. The squadron is dedicated to exploring and deploying modern uncrewed technologies. Until now,

The drone has largely been used independently or alongside other drones. Its successful integration with a crewed aircraft represents a significant evolution in operational capability, according to the Royal Navy.

During the test, the Merlin from 814 Naval Air Squadron relied solely on intelligence streamed in real-time from the Puma drone to track and close in on ‘suspect’ vessels. The trial is a major step toward the development of hybrid air wings—integrated forces of manned and unmanned aircraft working in concert across future maritime missions. The helicopter flew from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Tidespring.

RFA Tidespring is a Tide-class replenishment tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), a part of the Royal Navy. It’s a civilian-manned ship that provides logistical support, including fuel and other supplies, to Royal Navy vessels, particularly those involved in carrier strike groups.

The tanker will provide fuel and supplies for the UK’s Carrier Strike Group as it moves into the next phase of its 2025 deployment, supporting operations in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Merlin Mk2 plays an important role in detecting surface threats with its powerful sensor suite. Integrating drone support allows the Merlin to operate in radar-silent mode, preserving stealth while maintaining situational awareness—a key advantage in contested environments.

This exercise is part of a broader Royal Navy initiative to enhance front-line operations with uncrewed systems. Alongside Puma, the Malloy heavy-lift drone is being tested within the Carrier Strike Group for transporting supplies between ships and assisting with logistics ashore. Meanwhile, the Peregrine mini-helicopter has been making headlines in the Gulf, supporting HMS Lancaster during major drug busts.

Culdrose’s Commanding Officer, Captain James Hall, said his team was pushing the boundaries to merge crewed and uncrewed aviation to create fully integrated air power.

“While this is only a relatively small step, it lays the groundwork for how we can build the integrated, hybrid air wing of the future,” he added.

“The challenge for our deployed crews is to identify where drones can support our war fighting capability, and where we can further improve… Ultimately, we are aiming to keep improving the combination of our crewed aircraft and maritime drones to keep pace with emerging technology and to accelerate the introduction of autonomy.”

The Royal Navy recently named its first uncrewed submarine Excalibur at HMNB Devonport on May 15, 2025. The 12-meter experimental vessel, displacing 19 tonnes and measuring two meters across, is the culmination of the three-year-long Project Cetus and the largest uncrewed underwater vessel trialed by the navy to date. The crewless craft was built by Plymouth-based MSubs, which specializes in automated submersibles.