QinetiQ featured its Banshee Whirlwind unmanned aerial vehicle at a live-fire exercise, Exercise Sharpshooter, to test the capability of the United Kingdom’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless to shoot down a drone swarm.
The Banshee Whirlwind UAV is fitted with the company’s proprietary CASPA payload for enhanced stabilization and digital autopilot. Integrated GPS and digital telemetry systems handle navigation during training simulations.
According to Will Blamey, chief executive for UK Defence at QinetiQ, the company is proud to supply technologies that offer exercise participants an opportunity to experience realistic threat scenarios.
The military exercise, designed by QinetiQ and designed by instructors from the Royal Navy, saw the HMS Dauntless use a wide range of counter-drone solutions, including a Phalanx Automated Gun, 4.5-inch and 30 mm guns, and a Wildcat with Martlet missiles. It is the final test for the destroyer before its deployment to the Carrier Strike Group in the Indo-Pacific.
British Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard recognized the HMS Dauntless’ prowess in addressing threats from a sustained UAV attack. “This test shows how the Royal Navy is adapting to face evolving threats, including from drone attacks in the Red Sea, as well as how we are working closely with industry to harness the latest technology to keep the U.K. secure at home and strong abroad,” he said.
In February, the U.K. government pledged to increase national defense spending to ensure the British armed forces’ combat readiness amid growing instability globally. At the time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “In an ever more dangerous world, increasing the resilience of our country so we can protect the British people, resist future shocks and bolster British interests is vital.”