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The Senior Service’s crucial support arm, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, is already looking into how it can use drones to deliver mail drops and other supplies to ships at sea.
Traditionally, the RFA tankers would be used to resupply warships, stocking them with everything from food and fuel, to ammunition and post.
But now the head of the RFA, Commodore David Eagles, to see if drones can step in to fill some of the delivery roles.
It’s hoped that by using unmanned tech, it would help to cut back on the cost of flying in supplies with a helicopter.
On the most recent carrier strike group deployment, supply ship RFA Fort Victoria shipped almost 900 loads HMS Queen Elizabeth and other ships in the task group – about 354 tonnes of supplies, ranging from medical supplies and spare parts, to food, mail and drink.
Meanwhile tanker RFA Tidespring carried out 67 ‘vertical replenishments’ using its helicopters.
While some loads are too heavy for current small-scale drones to transport, seven out of ten resupply missions involve the transfer of loads up to 100lbs/45kg, Cdre Eagles wants to see if they are ‘dronable’.
The US Navy’s naval air systems command is already experimenting with unmanned aircraft moving relatively lightweight supplies – up to 25lbs/11kg – between ships, but over distances which could be greater than 200 miles.
Trials over the summer successfully proved this concept by delivering a small cargo for repairs between a warship and an auxiliary of the Military Sealift Command – the US Navy’s equivalent of the RFA.
Cdre Eagles said: ‘The RFA is looking very closely at the Military Sealift Command and the opportunities around using drones to make deliveries at sea.’
Using drones would save time, money and sailors, and free up helicopters for other duties.
Royal Marines have already tested re-supply by drone both on the battlefield and on the beachhead, using drones to ferry up to 150lbs/68kg supplies; including ammunition, blood and Bergen backpacks to troops in the line from either ships off shore or bases to the rear.
A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron
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