The UK Royal Navy said on Wednesday that it’s been test-launching sea drones from a turboprop aircraft at 1,300 feet, in what it described as trials for a “first airdrop of its kind.”
The trials were carried out by Kraken Technology Group, which provided its K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel, and by Capewell, which contributed an aerial delivery system that features a sled and parachute.
The Royal Navy said the K3 Scout, a 27-foot-long multirole sea drone, was parachuted four times from an Airbus A400 transport aircraft in a six-day campaign over the North Sea.
The airdrop capability “instantly expands the speed, range, and flexibility” by which such a sea drone can deploy because it doesn’t need a port or nearby support ship, the Royal Navy said.
“One of the limitations of small uncrewed surface vehicles is their ability to self-deploy and so we are actively looking at concepts for deployment from motherships or ‘mother aircraft,'” said Cpt. Adam Ballard, an officer in the Royal Navy’s uncrewed surface vessel program, in the statement.
Kraken said the K3 Scout was airdropped into the North Sea at Sea State 4, meaning the waves could reach up to 8 feet.
The uncrewed surface vessel is equipped with electronic warfare systems, can carry a payload of up to 600 kilograms, and is meant to operate for up to 30 days in the field.
Kraken lists the drone as capable of conducting strikes at sea and in shallow waters, casualty evacuation, and forward screening missions.
Sea drones have risen rapidly in prominence after Ukraine used them to strategically defeat Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, one of the Kremlin’s most dominant naval forces.
The UK’s navy has said that it wants these drones to work in tandem with its crewed warships and human forces. In March, it announced it was purchasing 20 of Kraken’s uncrewed surface vessels to “set the foundation” for future use of sea drones.
The contract is worth about $16.5 million, putting the cost of each drone at roughly $825,000.
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