Jet-powered military drones: Royal Navy concludes two-year Banshee project

For two years, Britain's Royal Navy studied how jet-powered military drones can be used; the project was concluded a few days ago. Although the Banshee drones tested will not enter service, the Fleet Air Arm project team has achieved its goals.

Lieutenant Tony Nairn, Banshee Flight Commander, commented: “Although the Banshee air system will not go into service, its importance must not be underestimated. In this area of development, what comes next is determined by what has been done today.”

Military drones flying at up to 640 km/h under test

700X Naval Air Squadron first flew a Banshee in 2023. The aim was to understand how to fly and operate these high-speed jet-powered drones. The drones reach up to 400 miles per hour (around 640 kilometres per hour), marking a significant leap in capability for the squadron.

The squadron used Banshee Jet 80+ systems from Qinetiq, operating from Predannack airfield in Cornwall, close to Royal Navy Air Station Culdrose.

Nairn added: “The project was not without its challenges, and the novel concept of trialling a remotely piloted jet system demanded resilience from the outset.” And: “The team has now laid the foundations on which future agile projects can be built. This was achieved through extensive collection and recording of the lessons learned.”

Ahead of this year's carrier deployment led by “HMS Prince of Wales”, the Banshees served as targets to test how the ship and its embarked aircraft defend against air attacks. In exercises, F35 jets and Wildcat attack helicopters shot down the drones with air-to-air missiles.

Lieutenant Commander Steve Cooke, Commanding Officer of 700X NAS, was satisfied with the results. Because drone technology is evolving rapidly, the navy is constantly on the lookout for new systems, he added. “Banshee has given us invaluable knowledge of operating high-speed drones. It has also allowed us to support the forces for the carrier strike group. We are now ready for the next opportunity that comes our way.”

Last year, the squadron successfully trialled remotely piloted mini-helicopters called Peregrine, which have already been used successfully aboard “HMS Lancaster”. This year, 700X NAS has the Malloy T-150 on its test schedule: the heavy-lift octocopter drone is to transport supplies between ships for the first time during this year's carrier deployment.