Uncrewed aerial vehicles become standard naval tool 

You only need to witness the grandeur of the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group spearheaded by aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to recognise that there’s an international renewed interest in sea power projection, and warships are at its heart.

Traditional land-based uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used to support maritime domain awareness task forces, extending coverage beyond the range covered from a surface ship, due to their long endurance and comprehensive mission payloads.

Armed forces across the globe are investing in the procurement, research, and development of UAVs for maritime operations. For example, the British Armed Forces are seeking innovative and cost-effective UAV solutions to enhance their logistic end maritime operation capabilities.

In November 2020, Malloy Aeronautics’ T-150 heavy-lift drone, developed for the British Royal Marines to enhance their reconnaissance and logistic transport capability, was tested in Cyprus. At this year’s DSEI in London, UK, Malloy showcased its T-650 all-electric heavy lift uncrewed aerial system (UAS) with a Stingray lightweight torpedo attached to its frame. BAE Systems and Malloy plan to explore developing their UAV for military, security and civilian customers.

In July 2020, the Skeldar V-200 uncrewed aircraft was selected as part of the naval mine countermeasures capability replacement for the Belgian and Royal Netherlands navies. Skeldar will supply twelve mine hunters, each equipped with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), remotely operated vehicle (ROV), uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), UAV and drone systems (Toolbox).

In addition to this, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems tested its MQ-9A Block 5 UAV for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability on 24 November 2020, deploying bathythermograph and sonobuoys successfully to detect and continuously track an MK-39 Expendable Mobile ASW Training Target over three hours.

Turkish Navy Captain (rtd.) and GlobalData aerospace and defence analyst Nurettin Sevi comments: "UAVs have proliferated rapidly in the naval domain and are becoming a standard tool due to their being a low-cost means of conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

“Enhanced endurance, data processing and communications capabilities have broadened ISR UAV use in maritime roles. Compared with manned defence systems such as maritime patrol aircraft, UAVs have a longer flight time; the MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian can fly for 30 hours without refuelling, while a manned aircraft's fuel time is up to 12 hours.

"The majority of today's UAVs are designed for ISR, search and rescue and constabulary missions. Advanced navies seek to enhance their use of UAVs in logistics transport and other naval operations such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures and electronic warfare.

“Currently, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs have become a new trend for logistic purposes. For instance, Leonardo's AWHero, The Aero360 Hybrid, Malloy's T-150 and T-650, Laflamme's LX300, Anavia's HT-100 and others can be leveraged for logistics transport in addition to ISR missions.

"Besides these VTOL UAVs, Boeing has developed a tanker UAV, the MQ-25TM Stingray, coordinating with the US Navy, Boeing is producing the first seven MQ-25 aircraft. The US Navy aims to buy more than 70 MQ-25 aircraft to help extend the range of the carrier air wing. Boeing announced in September 2021 they are to build a new facility in Illinois US to manufacture the Stingray, further highlighting the importance of the system."

// Main image: British Royal Marines trialled the Malloy Aeronautics’ T-150 heavy-lift drone in Cyprus last November. Credit: Malloy Aeronautics