Royal Navy embarks heavy lift drones for ship-to-ship resupply logistics
In a first for the Royal Navy, heavy lift drones will transport supplies between UK Carrier Strike Group ships during deployment to the Indo-Pacific later this month.
The nine all-electric uncrewed quadcopters produced by BAE Systems entity Malloy Aeronautics will, when appropriate, take on the role of transporting supplies in place of helicopters.
With a top speed of 60mph and capable of lifting up to 68kg, the Malloy T-150 uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) need a team of two, one remote pilot and a second to monitor the drone’s command unit, and can be flown manually or autonomously to designated waypoints with an underslung cargo.
In a statement, Neil Appleton, CEO of Malloy Aeronautics, said: “It’s an exciting moment to see the Royal Navy deploying with our T-150s as an efficient and cost-effective ship-to-ship resupply logistics solution.
“We are proud to contribute to this important deployment and look forward to watching these versatile drones prove their worth during operational duties.”
The Royal Navy’s drone specialist 700X Naval Air Squadron (NAS) will embark a team of 12 sailors to operate the nine UAS, initially from three ships in the group to test the capability.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
UK Enters ‘Golden Age of Nuclear’
Too little too late! The Labour administration dithered in the noughties and then prevarication set in under successive governments. Why this whole...