The Royal Navy’s first crewless helicopter is one step from taking to the skies after completing successful trials on the ground.
The helicopter Proteus is being developed by Leonardo under a £60m program, and is believed to be one of the world’s first full-sized autonomous helicopters. The unit is the size of a traditional helicopter, but it is tasked by a pilot rather than flown manually. The aircraft has been ‘flashed up’, with its engines, systems, and rotor blades tested, according to the Royal Navy.
Senior officers and experts from the MOD were invited to Leonardo’s Yeovil site, where the aircraft was designed and manufactured, to see it ‘ground running’.
“Proteus is equipped with cutting-edge onboard software capabilities, carrying a suite of sensors and systems that allow it to sense its environment, make decisions and act accordingly. All of this processing is conducted onboard the aircraft, while operating in the most extreme environments, including high sea states and strong winds – just where the Royal Navy needs this kind of capability,” Nigel Colman , Managing Director Helicopters UK, Leonardo, said.
Proteus will be tasked to patrol specific maritime areas, drawing on information provided by other allied ships, helicopters, submarines, and detection systems to calculate the best chance of success in finding an underwater foe.
Initially, the demonstrator is being assessed for the ability of autonomous systems to support anti-submarine operations. To detect submarines, it will drop sonobuoy listening devices into the ocean to search the depths for the tell-tale acoustic signs that emanate from submarines. Once found, the system has the ability to report its findings back to the mission commander.
By embracing drone helicopters, the navy aims to search wider stretches of ocean for longer periods without putting strain on aircrew, who could be deployed on other critical sorties.