Peregrine is a Royal Navy (RN) variant of the three-metres-long (10 ft) civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) rotorcraft S-100 Camcopter, made by Schiebel company from Austria. The RN-specific variant is equipped with the tailored UK military equipment, which includes radar, an infra-red and electro-optical camera allowing the drone to ‘see’ at night, as well as in poor visibility.
The aircraft can perform tasks lasting up to five hours, conducting flights over distances of up to 180 kilometres, with speeds up to 125 mph (201 kph). During each mission, the drone is flown remotely by its pilot from on board the HMS Lancaster. That makes the Peregrine to be the first remotely piloted helicopter used by the Royal Navy.
According to the Royal Navy press release, published on their website on 21st February 2025, the Peregrine UAV helicopter was launched from the deck of the frigate HMS Lancaster deployed in the Middle East as part of a long-term maritime security mission in search of smugglers and drug traffickers, on the so-called ‘Hash Highway’ in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.
The Peregrine performed both day and night flights searching the ocean surface for suspicious boats while transmitting data, live radar images and photographs directly to the frigate’s operations room.
‘Being part of the team that used Peregrine in our counter-narcotics operations was a fascinating experience. The clarity of the images we obtained from miles away was impressive and highlighted the advanced capabilities we have at our disposal. It’s exciting to see how technology is enhancing our operations at sea.’ – said AB(AWW) warfare specialist Bradley Morris.
The Schiebel S-100 UAV rotorcraft is ideal for long and demanding surveillance tasks, providing an exceptionally good complement to the AgustaWestland HMA.2 Wildcat crewed helicopter from the HMS Lancaster, allowing it to focus on possible interdiction or strike missions.
In addition, a team from 700X Naval Air Squadron, which is a dedicated UAV unit of the Royal Navy based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, also flew the Peregrine simultaneously with the Wildcat to bring out the full potential of cooperation between drones and manned aircraft.
The Commanding Officer of the HMS Lancaster, Commander Sam Stephens, said the Peregrine operations with his ship marked ‘a key milestone in the evolution of the Royal Navy’s uncrewed capability’.
‘Integrating this force-multiplier into the longest-serving operational Type 23 frigate whilst deployed on operations is a significant achievement. This is just the start, as we continue to unlock the game changing capability with every flight, gaining the advantage over smugglers and adversaries alike.’ – added Commander Stephens.
Lt Cdr Rob Guest, being in overall charge of both the Wildcat and Peregrine embarked on the HMS Lancaster frigate, said: ‘Combining the maritime expertise of the Wildcat Flight with the development and integration of uncrewed air systems has been a crucial catalyst in providing the Command team with additional assets that complement the existing capabilities – a combination that is producing promising results for the future.’
During its operational debut, the Peregrine located and monitored several board and search operations as Royal Marines from the HMS Lancaster embarked suspect vessels, seizing drugs and other contraband.
It is also worth to mention that the Peregrine is not the only technical upgrade the HMS Lancaster frigate has received. She is also the first ship in the Indian Ocean to be equipped with a new anti-drone system, which is particularly important in view of the Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden during the last eighteen months.
The frigate recently underwent also a maintenance period in Bahrain, during which her weapons systems and sensors were upgraded. In addition, a complex replacement of one of the diesel generators was also carried out, which required cutting a hole in the frigate’s hull to remove the old engine and install a new one.
Cover photo: The Peregrine Rotary Wing UAV tethered to the flight deck of HMS Lancaster during trials in the Gulf of Oman. Photographer: Lt Cdr Fraser Simon, UK MOD © Crown copyright 2024 / OLG License.
Royal Navy press materials were used.
