Royal Navy uses drones in drugs bust for first time
Sailors and Royal Marines onboard HMS Lancaster located the drug smugglers after the new Peregrine remote-controlled mini-helicopters were launched from the warship's flight deck and operators spotted suspicious activity in the northern Arabian Sea.
After the drones fed back intelligence from what they could detect from two boats side by side in the dead of night, the Wildcat helicopter was launched for closer inspection.
When the crew arrived at the scene they could clearly see packages being transferred from a small fast boat onto a dhow, which transpired to be a total of £5.4m class A drugs.
The Peregrine, which is three metres long, can conduct sorties of up to five hours at ranges well over the horizon.
As the first remotely piloted helicopter operated by the Navy, the Peregrine scours hundreds of square miles of ocean on every flight, feeding data, live radar picture and imagery directly into displays monitored in the warship's operations room.
A Navy source told The Telegraph the drones had become a game-changer for drug busts.
'The Royal Navy is at the forefront of embracing autonomous technology,' she said.
'This drug haul is a great demonstration of how using crewed aircraft and uncrewed systems will enhance our operational capabilities.'
As the transfer continued, HMS Lancaster charged down on the scene at full speed, leading to the smugglers attempting to get rid of their illegal haul by dumping the packages overboard.
The crew of the warship's seaboat fished the packages out of the water then ferried them back for testing on board. They were found to contain 340kg of heroin and 83kg of methamphetamine.
Commander Sam Stephens, HMS Lancaster's Commanding Officer, said the success was an outstanding team effort and underscored the usefulness of the new Peregrines, which were only introduced on operations at the end of 2024.
He said: 'I am extremely proud of my whole team for their professionalism and dedication in achieving this success.
'We have removed £5.4m of class A substances from the black market and disrupted those who threaten our interests.'
Able Seaman Tom Urie described the drugs bust as 'hugely rewarding', while Wildcat pilot Lieutenant Commander Rachel Rychtanek, who is on exchange with the Navy from the US Coast Guard, said: 'This success has strengthened allied partnerships and signifies the importance of upholding international law.'
HMS Lancaster was operating as part of the international Combined Task Force 150 which is committed to clamping down on illegal activity in the Middle East region.
The frigate operates out of Bahrain where she has been based for more than two years.
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