Britain’s Royal Navy has successfully conducted the maiden flight of its first full-sized autonomous helicopter, designed to track submarines and carry out high-risk maritime missions amid rising tensions in the North Atlantic.
Named Proteus, the helicopter was developed under a $80.5 million (£60 million) programme by defence and aerospace company Leonardo.
It is equipped with advanced sensors and computer systems that allow it to interpret its surroundings and make operational decisions without a human pilot on board.
Proteus is intended for anti-submarine warfare, maritime patrol, and underwater vessel tracking, providing the navy with capabilities to monitor strategic waters, including those between Greenland, Iceland, and Britain.
The aircraft is part of broader efforts to strengthen NATO and UK defence amid increased Russian naval activity in the North Atlantic.
Nigel Colman, UK managing director of Leonardo Helicopters, said, “Proteus represents a step-change in how maritime aviation can deliver persistence, adaptability and reach."
According to him, Proteus is capable of conducting "the dull, dirty and dangerous missions in challenging environments without putting human operators at risk.”
The maiden flight was a short test routine, marking the first step in the helicopter’s operational deployment.
The Royal Navy already operates smaller unmanned drones, but Proteus is larger and more sophisticated, capable of handling long-duration missions that were previously too risky for human crews.
Europe’s defence sector has undergone significant changes since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to experts, with governments boosting military spending and expanding capabilities.
Proteus is expected to enhance the UK’s ability to defend its waters and support NATO allies against evolving North Atlantic threats.
A top security official in Donald Trump’s administration has resigned, saying Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States...
Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church who led the institution for more than four decades thro...
President Donald Trump said NATO is making a “very foolish mistake” by refusing to help the U.S. as Israel Katz claimed Ali Larijani wa...
Tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have surged after the Taliban government accused Islamabad of carrying out an attack that killed m...
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (17 March) announced that he is postponing a highly anticipated trip to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi...
Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church who led the institution for more than four decades through the final years of the Soviet era and Georgia’s independence, has died aged 93.
President Donald Trump said NATO is making a “very foolish mistake” by refusing to help the U.S. as Israel Katz claimed Ali Larijani was killed in Israeli strikes.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have surged after the Taliban government accused Islamabad of carrying out an attack that killed more than 400 people, an allegation Pakistan denies. Here is how the two sides compare in military strength, from troop numbers to nuclear capability.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (17 March) announced that he is postponing a highly anticipated trip to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, citing the war with Iran as the main disruption to efforts to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
The other evening, I was fuelling my car at a petrol station in Kenya’s capital. It was one of those small moments most motorists barely notice. The attendant filled the tank, I glanced at the pump price, paid, and drove off.
President Donald Trump said NATO is making a “very foolish mistake” by refusing to help the U.S. as Israel Katz claimed Ali Larijani was killed in Israeli strikes.
Kazakhstan has adopted a new constitution that could allow President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to stay in power beyond 2029. The Central Election Commission confirmed that 87.15% of voters backed the constitution in a referendum held on Sunday (17 March).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released $2m in emergency funding to support health responses in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria as escalating regional conflict strains hospitals, raises displacement and increases pressure on already fragile health systems.
Kouri Richins, a U.S. woman who penned a children’s book about bereavement after the death of her husband has been found guilty of killing him.
Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is pushing to make charging an electric car almost as quick and convenient as filling up a traditional petrol vehicle - a move that could help remove one of the biggest barriers to wider electric vehicle adoption.
South Korea will soon cease to be one of the few countries where Google Maps does not function fully, after its security-conscious government reversed a two-decade-old policy and approved the export of high-precision map data to overseas servers.
New research suggests 40,000-year-old carved objects from south-western Germany bear repeated marks arranged in organised sign sequences similar to early proto-cuneiform, although they are not regarded as a form of writing.
The chief executive of Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, has called for more urgent research into the risks posed by artificial intelligence, warning that stronger safeguards are needed as systems become more advanced.
NASA successfully completed a critical fueling rehearsal on Thursday (19 February) for its giant moon rocket, Artemis II, after earlier hydrogen leaks disrupted preparations for the next crewed lunar mission. The launch is scheduled for 6 March, according to the latest information from NASA.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment