Britain’s oldest warship tests robot rib in navy first
A major milestone in the Royal Navy’s use of autonomous vessels in future operations has been reached during recent trials aboard HMS Argyll, Britain’s longest serving frigate which celebrated its 30th birthday this year.
In a first for the navy, the warship successfully controlled an uncrewed Pacific 24 rigid inflatable boat (RIB) while sailing at sea.
The week-long tests, held by the navy’s innovation experts NavyX and industry partners BAE Systems, saw the Type 23 frigate take command of the RIB while it zipped along the water.
The boat’s onboard cameras and sensors gave constant feedback to Argyll, with a temporary operating centre set up in the ship’s hangar. In another first, the RIB’s control system was also integrated into the ship’s ops room meaning it could be controlled and commanded from the depths of the frigate.
As well as operating the Pac24 from up to 10 miles away, the ship successfully sent instructions to the boat for it to carry out autonomously such as conducting basic missions, identifying targets on the water and cueing its camera and remote weapon station to tracked targets when operated by the trials team, the navy said.
Lieutenant Commander Rob Manson, trials lead for NavyX, said: ‘This was a great first step in integrating fully autonomous vessels into Royal Navy warships. What we managed to do with these trials was prove that systems such as those to control autonomous and uncrewed technology can be successfully introduced into our current fleet.
‘Operating with the Pac24 while at sea showed that in the future these vessels have the potential to deploy with current frigates and destroyers and be used for a range of operational tasks.’
He added: ‘The Royal Navy is committed to putting this sort of technology through its paces and conducting experiments on how we could use it on the frontline. The past two years have seen crucial developments in uncrewed operations and we’re excited for the future.’
Lieutenant Keaton LeylandJones, a warfare officer on Argyll, said: ‘It is great to see the ship involved in this landmark moment for the Royal Navy. Frigates are the workhorses of the Royal Navy, regularly conducting anti-submarine warfare, countering piracy and Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief Operations. Argyll may be the oldest frigate in the fleet, but numerous capability upgrades have allowed us to press ahead at the cutting-edge of maritime warfare. Autonomous technology such as the Pac24 proves this, enhancing our versatility and improving our ability to conduct crucial missions, gaining advantage over the aggressor.’
For safety reasons, the Pac24 had sailors on board but was controlled remotely from Argyll throughout the trials.
Over a long and successful career at sea, Argyll has, to date, steamed more 685,000 nautical miles – enough to go around the world 32 times.
Despite being designed and laid down in the 1980s and 30 years old outwardly, the tech inside the frigate remains cutting-edge.
‘Argyll is a special ship, with a fantastic team and a well-deserved reputation for operational success,’ said Commander Wheen, who served as the frigate’s operations officer between 2013 and 2015. ‘She is hugely capable and has a great deal still to offer.
‘I very much look forward to meeting whatever challenges the future brings.’