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RN inaugurates “hybrid navy” with its First Autonomous Squadron of un-crewed boats

With the commissioning of 1st Autonomous Squadron, the Senior Service has created a truly cutting edge new unit. Picture: BFBS

The Royal Navy has created a squadron made up of un-crewed boats for the first time in its efforts to move towards a 'hybrid navy'. The 28ft boats will be based at Portsmouth Naval Base and will be dedicated to operating autonomous boats on the front line.

The £12m squadron will operate dozens of K3 Scout surveillance drones and Rattler training drones designed to perform a range of operations and can be used for example to monitor Russian vessels in British waters.

The First Autonomous squadron, which is remotely controlled, had already escorted warships in trials in Scotland while being piloted 500 miles away. The boats can travel at speeds of up to 63mph, have a range of as far as 1,100mph and can carry a 400kg payload. It had already escorted warships in trials in Scotland while being piloted from 500 miles away.

K3 Scouts are 8.5 meters long, weigh 2.5 tons and have a top speed of 55 knots. They can range 650 miles right now, but this can be upped to 1,100 miles if needed.

The crucial thing is their modularity. They can carry a payload of up to 400kg. This could be for radar use, or strike purposes. They might carry jamming gear for electronic warfare. In short, pick your product of choice and chuck it in.

In Portsmouth Harbor, the demonstration was a touch pedestrian. But it doesn't take much imagination to see multiple units zipping across the waves delivering the desired effect.

Lieutenant Reece McCarthy, Operations Officer of 1st Autonomous Squadron expanded on this theme.

“It gives us the advantage now with these craft, speeds of up to 55 knots, operating groups of four at reach, 650 nautical miles range that these things have got and up to 30 days endurance at sea,” he said.

“It gives us that opportunity to work at pace with manned warships, potentially taking the risk away from them and putting these in harm's way.”

Throughout the commissioning event, the Royal Navy was at pains to stress that the use of un-crewed vehicles doesn't mean disposing of sailors. Indeed, these vessels are designed to work with existing and future crewed ships and airframes.

“Some people think 'oh, this is a clever way of saving money or saving people',” Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse, Fleet Commander, said.

“I think I'm going to need more people and more money. Because I keep saying it's not an 'or', this is an 'and'.

”So with a backbone of crewed platforms, you saw the young men and women today, they'll be operating them. Yes, we'll embrace autonomy, but we're going to need maintainers. We're going to need systems engineers. We'll need operators.

“So the role of the Navy will evolve. The missions remain the same.”

The 1st Autonomous Squadron will also operate the Rattler un-crewed vehicle. It looks like a normal Rigid Inflatable Boat, minus the driver. It will be used for training.

Elsewhere in Portsmouth Naval base stands another new development – the Capability Accelerator.

It's designed to get off-the-shelf kit from industry and quickly adapt it for military use. In short, it cuts down the often-torturous procurement process we've seen for years by utilising what's available rather than building from scratch.

Capability Accelerator team leader Commander James Wagstaffe said: “The way we develop and deliver capability must evolve if we are to stay ahead of an increasingly complex and fast-changing threat environment.

”The Capability Accelerator has been established to help the National Armaments Group get new technologies into the hands of our sailors faster, reducing the time between identifying an operational need and delivering a capability that makes a real difference.”