The UK Royal Navy has successfully deployed its new mini remotely-piloted helicopter, Peregrine, for the first time on a long-term maritime security mission in the Middle East.
In 2023, plans for the deployment of this remotely-piloted helicopter was first announced.
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Peregrine, a 10ft long uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), has demonstrated its ability to conduct extended sorties of up to five hours, reaching beyond the horizon.
Launched from Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster’s flight deck, the UAV was flown to identify and track illicit activities on the ‘Hash Highway’.
The drone operated both day and night, covering vast ocean areas with each flight. It relayed a live radar feed and imagery directly to the warship’s operations room.
As a Royal Navy-specific variant of the Schiebel S-100, Peregrine is equipped with UK military technology, including radar and an infra-red/electro-optical camera.
This enables it to ‘see’ at night and in poor visibility, travelling at speeds of up to 125mph.
Lancaster commanding officer Sam Stephens said: “Integrating this force-multiplier into the longest-serving operational Type 23 frigate whilst deployed on operations is a significant achievement.
“This is just the start, as we continue to unlock the game changing capability with every flight, gaining the advantage over smugglers and adversaries alike”.
During its operational debut, Peregrine has helped in locating and monitoring board and search operations.
The Royal Marines aboard Lancaster have successfully boarded suspect dhows, seizing drugs and other contraband.
Peregrine also positions Lancaster as the first ship in the Indian Ocean to be fitted with a new counter-drone system.
This addition is claimed to be crucial given the recent drone attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden region over the past 18 months.
Following a period of maintenance in Bahrain, HMS Lancaster has seen upgrades to its weapon systems and sensors.
The maintenance included the replacement of one of the frigate’s diesel generators, which involved cutting into the ship’s structure to remove the old engine and install the new one.
In 2022, HMS Lancaster departed from Portsmouth on a three-year-long security mission in the Gulf.
