UK's Royal Navy has transformed Wildcat helicopters into flying command centers capable to receive and share live data from multiple drones.
The UK’s Royal Navy has successfully transformed one of its Wildcat helicopters into an airborne command hub capable of receiving and managing live data from multiple drones during flight.The Wildcat helicopter crew utilized real-time information from two surveillance drones , called Puma and Providence, to located and track a moving vehicle.
The data was instantly shared over a decentralized mesh network.“We turned a Wildcat helicopter into a flying command center,” Lt. Cmdr. Rhydian Edwards, head of the Wildcat Maritime Force Operational Advantage Group, said.This enabled the helicopter to operate beyond line of sight and over the horizon. The trials were carried out at Predannack airfield on Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula as part of an initiative known as Eagles Eye.“For the first time, while flying a mission, a Royal Navy crew sent and received live data from multiple drones from within the aircraft across a node network,” Edwards added.Royal Navy drone controlAccording to the Royal Navy, the major effort brought together crewed aircraft, uncrewed systems and ground-based sensors into a single, resilient network. It laid the groundwork for more complex future operations.During the demonstration, the Wildcat crew received live video and sensor data streamed from a Puma surveillance drone. The drone was run by the Royal Navy’s specialist drone unit, 700x Naval Air Squadron.The crew received additional live feeds from a smaller Providence drone operated by UAV Aerosystems. These streams were combined with other inputs to give the helicopter crews a clearer picture of the battlefield environment.One of the two small surveillance drones .Credit: Royal NavyFor the operation, the team used a multi-node mesh network that could reroute data automatically through other available noted, if certain parts of the network were disrupted. This ensured continuous data flow between aircraft, drones and ground units.“We are building a system that is modular and survivable – embracing the latest tech to make us deadlier and harder to defeat in a fight on the modern battlefield,” Edwards pointed out. Advanced naval aviationAccording to Edwards, the mesh network has proven crucial in Ukraine, where it has been used successfully by allied forces. It is seen as a key enabler of future hybrid air operations.“It’s not just about the drone, it’s also about the network access,” he noted. “By learning lessons from the war in Ukraine we are securing these links into MESH networks, increasing interoperability and proving we can connect sensors and strike assets across the battlefield instantly.”He said the system acts as a universal translator. It replaces the need for separate interfaces for each new drone or sensor. “This breaks that cycle,” he concluded in a press release.The trials were carried out on Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula.Credit: Royal NavyThe Eagles Eye trials involved personnel from multiple Royal Navy squadrons, as well as industry partners including MarWorks, TeleplanForsberg, C3IA, General Dynamics, UAV Aerosystems and Collins Aerospace. Together, they tested how crewed aircraft could coordinate with drones operated not only by the Navy, but potentially by other branches of the UK Armed Forces and NATO allies.The Royal Navy now intends to build on these results during upcoming exercises in Norway. Wildcats will reportedly operate alongside the Royal Norwegian Navy to test helicopter-drone teaming in fjord environments, focusing on fast attack craft and other asymmetric threats.
Aviation Defense &Amp Military Drone Warfare Drones Helicopter Royal Navy Surveillance Drones UK Ukraine
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