The Royal Navy has demonstrated the downing of a pilotless aircraft from a manned helicopter for the first time.
A Martlet missile fired from a Wildcat HMA 2 helicopter downed an unmanned Banshee jet flying at hundreds of miles an hour over the Bristol Channel.
The AgustaWestland helicopter detected, tracked, and engaged the target drone without outside assistance, upping the navy’s counter-drone game.
“This is a fantastic development for the Wildcat HMA 2 helicopter and a significant advancement in maritime strike capability for the Royal Navy that further refines our ability to deter and neutralize airborne threats,” commanding officer of 815 Naval Air Squadron, Commander James Woods, said.
Wildcat HMA 2
It comes days after the navy conducted the maiden guided test firing of the Sea Venom anti-ship missile from the Wildcat.
The helicopter operates from Royal Navy frigates, destroyers, and aircraft carriers, performing tasks such as search and rescue, tracking down drug runners, and ferrying troops, equipment, and personnel.
It faced repeated drone attacks by Houthi rebels earlier this year in the Red Sea and Gulf of Yemen.
Martlet Missile
Formerly known as the Lightweight Multirole Missile, the multi-function Martlet can be launched from a range of platforms on land, air, and sea.
It is designed to engage a wide range of conventional and asymmetric threats, including armored personnel carriers, fast in-shore attack craft, and unmanned aerial systems.
The lightweight Thales missile weighs 13 kilograms (28.6 pounds) and flies at Mach 1.5. It has a range of over 6 miles (9.6 kilometers).
The UK Ministry of Defence ordered a “significant” number of Martlet missiles in July to strengthen the British Army’s short-range air defense and the Royal Navy’s anti-surface warfare capabilities.