Click here - to select or create a menu

Naval News

DSEI Japan 2023
  • News
  • Event News
    • SNA 2023
    • Euronaval 2022
    • Indo Pacific 2022
    • Sea Air Space 2022
    • DIMDEX 2022
  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home» News»Royal Navy tests Drones In Man Overboard Trials
Royal Navy tests Drones In Man Overboard Trials
Royal Navy picture.

Royal Navy tests Drones In Man Overboard Trials

Remotely-piloted systems which locate personnel in the water, drop life-saving equipment and hover over the location until rescuers arrive have been tested extensively by Royal Navy tech experts on Horsea Island and at sea.

Martin Manaranche 06 Jul 2021

The Royal Navy is testing drones to help rescue sailors who fall overboard.

Royal Navy press release

Members of the NavyX team are working out how heavy-lift Minerva drones could deliver potentially life-saving equipment if someone falls overboard.

Over the past few months, the team – who are the navy’s experimentation experts – tested the drone both at the Royal Navy’s Diving School at Horsea Island, Portsmouth, and more recently on a civilian boat.

The work was completed with Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and companies Malloy Aeronautics and Planck Aerosystems.

First a Minerva T-150 drone was successful in locating a dummy in the water at Horsea Island, deploying a test package which could one day contain a life raft and hovering above the dummy to signpost their location.

Minerva T-80 drone

Royal Navy crews perform extensive ‘man overboard’ drills, ensuring they can quickly and effectively rescue anyone at sea.

The introduction of a drone means it could be used to fly out to where the person is and hover – making it easier for the ship and seaboat to identify the casualty’s location.

With its ability to drop objects, extensively tested with Royal Marines last year in Norway and Cyprus, the drone could also deliver a life buoy and other survival equipment.

Following the success at the Diving School, sea trials started on an industry boat to test the smaller T-80 Minerva drone.

The system was able to be controlled to take off the moving vessel and fly out to sea before returning.

In one step further, the drone was programmed to land itself on a mat attached to the boat’s deck – meaning once it had taken off it would use its on board systems to track where it needed to land.

-End-

DE&S drone Royal Navy 2021-07-06
Tags DE&S drone Royal Navy
Facebook Twitter Stumble linkedin Pinterest More

Related Articles

Royal Navy begins NSM anti-ship missile upgrade on Type 23 Frigate

Royal Navy begins NSM anti-ship missile upgrade on Type 23 Frigate

Tayfun Ozberk 31 Jan 2023
Royal Navy's Type 23-class frigate HMS Somerset announced the commencement of the Naval Strike Missile upgrade works on January 30, 2022.
Royal Navy’s Mine-hunting ‘mother ship’ arrives in Plymouth

Royal Navy’s Mine-hunting ‘mother ship’ arrives in Plymouth

Naval News Staff 30 Jan 2023
A specialist ship bought to support Royal Navy mine-hunting operations – a mother ship to launch drones to find and destroy undersea threats – has arrived in Plymouth.
War in Ukraine: Western Navies See Lessons from Strategic to Tactical Levels

War in Ukraine: Western Navies See Lessons from Strategic to Tactical Levels

Dr Lee Willett 27 Jan 2023
The lessons emerging from the war in Ukraine for Western navies range from the strategic to the tactical levels, the chiefs of the French, UK, and US navies told the recent inaugural Paris Naval Conference.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Legal / Privacy Policy
About Us
Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 Naval News
All Rights Reserved