In the first air-to-air trial of its kind, the Martlet missile destroyed a Banshee jet - a small jet fighter aircraft - flying at hundreds of miles an hour.
The Royal Navy has successfully completed a trailblazing test using a new laser-guided helicopter missile to obliterate a drone over the Bristol Channel. In an unprecedented air-to-air trial, the Martlet missile scored a direct hit on a Banshee jet – simulating a small jet fighter aircraft – which was hurtling through the sky at a high speed.
Notably, it marked the first occasion a Wildcat helicopter has identified, tracked, and struck a drone singlehandedly. Conducted across two days, the ground-breaking trial took place at the Air Defence Range Manorbier near Tenby in Wales. Commander James Woods, leading officer of the 815 Naval Air Squadron, expressed his enthusiasm: "This is a fantastic development for the Wildcat HMA 2 helicopter and a significant advancement in maritime strike capability for the Royal Navy that further refines our ability to deter and neutralise airborne threats."
"Martlet is a highly-capable – and also cost-effective – weapon in our arsenal, ideal for this, while Banshee is representative of the challenges we face globally, particularly in the Red Sea."
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