Leonardo to develop uncrewed aircraft for UK military

The project will be undertaken at Leonardo’s Yeovil site, and will involve the creation of a three-tonne demonstrator aircraft – approximately the fifth of the weight of a Merlin helicopter – which could potentially serve as an ‘alternative to existing aircraft for tracking adversary submarines’.

The demonstrator is expected to undertake its first flight in 2025.

Rear Admiral James Parkin, ‘Director Develop’ for the Royal Navy, added that if the project is successful, other potential uses would be explored, including casualty evacuation and ship-to-ship supply. “Proving the benefits of larger uncrewed aircraft (rotary and fixed wing) will be key to understanding whether such aircraft can effectively contribute to future Royal Navy capabilities, particularly for Anti-Submarine Warfare. Capable of carrying a large payload, combined with the ability to operate in harsh environmental conditions, the aircraft could also demonstrate its utility across a range of requirements.”

The demonstrator will undergo trials to test its capability of dropping ‘sonobuoys’ – small buoys capable of tracking and communicating submarine activity, which would alert a crewed helicopter to respond in the event that an enemy submarine was identified.

Lower costs and reduced exposure to threats

It is hoped that the uncrewed aircraft would offer lower costs than operating manned aircraft for all anti-submarine operations, as well as reducing the potential exposure of Royal Navy personnel to hostile threats.

“If successful, the new aircraft would provide a platform capable of delivering improved surveillance and intelligence, enabling crewed Royal Navy helicopters to re-deploy on alternative missions if required and bolstering UK defence capability,” said Jeremy Quin, Minister for Defence Procurement.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) completed its first successful fully unmanned flight using a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter in February 2022, in collaboration with Sikorsky.