RN Merlin completes ‘hybrid' teaming trial with Puma UAS

The UK Royal Navy announced on 30 May that it had completed an initial trial between a Merlin helicopter and a Puma UAV designed to demonstrate manned/unmanned aviation teaming for the interdiction of suspect shipping. (Crown Copyright)

The UK Royal Navy (RN) announced on 30 May that it has completed an initial trial designed to demonstrate manned/unmanned aviation teaming for the interdiction of suspect shipping.

Performed from the tanker RFA Tidespring in the Atlantic during May, the trial involved a Merlin HM2 helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) and a Puma AE unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operated by 700X NAS. Puma AE flights parented by 700X NAS are deployed on a number of RN warships but to date have been tasked independently, or only employed with other unmanned assets.

For the purposes of the trial, the Merlin helicopter switched off its Blue Kestrel surveillance radar and instead relied on the Puma UAS and its controllers onboard Tidespring to ‘silently' close on ‘suspect' vessels. Manufactured by AeroVironment, the Puma AE is able to gather and relay electro-optical/infrared imagery for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

RFA Tidespring is part of the UK's CSG25 carrier strike group deployment (Operation ‘Highmast') to the Indo-Pacific. The trial was the first time that a small UAS had functioned as the ‘flying eyes' for an RN helicopter on operations, the service said.

For more information on the RN 's unmanned aircraft plans, please seeSpecial Report: GA-ASI reveals unmanned carrier aviation vision with eyes on RN transformation plan .