UK Defence Journal

By Lisa West

29 July 2024

Source: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britains-proteus-helicopter-drone-first-flight-next-year/

Leonardo’s Proteus ‘Airborne Collaborative Platform’ is expected to have its first flight in early 2025.

Since 2013, Leonardo and the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) have collaborated to explore the potential of a Rotary Wing Uncrewed Air System (RWUAS) for delivering military effects.

This effort culminated in a four-year, £60 million contract awarded in July 2022 for the RWUAS Phase 3A Technology Demonstration Programme (TDP), referred to as ‘Proteus’ by the Royal Navy.

Leonardo is developing a 2-3 tonne technology demonstrator with inherent modularity and autonomy, designed, developed, and manufactured in Yeovil, UK. This programme aims to provide evidence that existing aviation capabilities can be augmented with uncrewed air systems. 

Managed by DE&S’s Future Capability Innovation (FCI) and Leonardo’s Future Programmes Group (FPG), the project seeks to harness technology development within an agile framework.

Primarily driven by the Royal Navy and funded via the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Spearhead Programme, the latest phase of these investigations focuses on a Technology Demonstrator. This initiative supports both the Defence Capability Framework and the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm 2040 vision.

Testing of a 3D printed scale model of the Proteus is currently underway in Yeovil’s specialist helicopter wind tunnel. This marks the first time an uncrewed rotorcraft model has been tested on site, providing essential aerodynamic data to assist in creating an accurate flight profile. 

This testing phase is crucial for understanding the platform’s aerodynamic performance and will inform further design and development work.

The approximately 3-tonne Proteus prototype is designed with modularity in mind, allowing it to be adapted for a wide range of military roles.

Adam Clarke, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters UK, highlighted the company’s dedication to advancing helicopter technologies, stating, “In the UK, Leonardo is investing hundreds of millions to sustain our nation’s position at the forefront of rotorcraft research, design, and manufacture. 

We’re developing and designing advanced new helicopter technologies for our own Armed Forces, we’re exporting helicopter products all over the world and we continue to invest in our people and infrastructure in order to meet the emerging multi-domain and digital requirements of the most sophisticated military customers.”