Royal Navy’s 700X Squadron Deploys Pioneering Drone Technology

The Royal Navy has used its new mini-helicopter drone for the first time on drug-hunting operations in the Middle East.

At just three metres (10ft) long, yet capable of sorties lasting up to five hours at ranges well over the horizon, Peregrine is the first remotely-piloted helicopter operated by the Royal Navy.

It’s been launched from the flight deck of frigate HMS Lancaster, which is deployed to the Middle East on a long-term maritime security mission, during sweeps of the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman looking for smugglers and drug-runners on the so-called ‘Hash Highway’.

Peregrine has been launched on sorties by day and night, scouring hundreds of square miles of ocean on every flight, feeding data, live radar picture and imagery directly into displays monitored in the warship’s operations room.

“Being part of the team that used Peregrine in our counter-narcotics operations was a fascinating experience,” said AB(AWW) Bradley Morris,

“The clarity of the images we obtained from miles away was impressive and highlighted the advanced capabilities we have at our disposal. It’s exciting to see how technology is enhancing our operations at sea.”

The drone is ideally suited to the long and demanding surveillance missions, preserving HMS Lancaster’s crewed Wildcat helicopter to conduct interdiction or strike missions.

But the team from 700X Naval Air Squadron – the Royal Navy’s dedicated drone unit based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall – have also operated Peregrine concurrently with the Wildcat to unlock the potential of drones and crewed aircraft working together.

Commander Sam Stephens, Lancaster’s Commanding Officer, said the Peregrine operations with his ship marked “a key milestone in the evolution of the Royal Navy’s uncrewed capability”.

This is just the start, as we continue to unlock the game changing capability with every flight, gaining the advantage over smugglers and adversaries alike
Commander Sam Stephens