The UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), Royal Navy, and Leonardo have unveiled the design of “Proteus,” an uncrewed rotorcraft demonstrator.
The three have joined forces under the Future Capability Innovation team to develop the 60-million-pound ($75 million) project, supporting the navy’s Maritime Aviation Transformation strategy of evolving maritime assets towards more autonomous systems by 2040.
The demonstrator’s maiden flight is scheduled for mid-2025.
The Proteus
Weighing around three tons (6,613 pounds), the Proteus demonstrator is a large maritime uncrewed aerial system (UAS) based on Leonardo’s helicopter and UAS programs.
Its design will be used as a testbed to assess autonomous capabilities, including flight control laws and algorithms for large autonomous vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
The Proteus features a modular payload bay for mission flexibility, enabling operators to swap different payloads based on mission requirements and configure the rotorcraft to either prioritize greater fuel capacity or heavier payloads.
Additionally, the uncrewed rotorcraft has a digital twin with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that allow Leonardo to conduct testing and modifications without the need for live aircraft trials.
These features offered by a single aircraft increase its operational utility while being a more cost-efficient option for the military.
To further increase production efficiency, Leonardo is experimenting with 3D printing and low-temperature cure composite materials.
