Leonardo’s Proteus becomes UK Royal Navy’s first autonomous helicopter to fly.

On January 16, 2026, the British Royal Navy conducted the first autonomous flight of the Proteus unmanned helicopter from Predannack Airfield in Cornwall.

On January 16, 2026, the British Royal Navy and Leonardo UK completed the first autonomous flight of the Proteus full-size unmanned helicopter at Predannack Airfield in Cornwall. The event marks the initial airborne validation of a large autonomous rotary-wing aircraft intended to operate alongside crewed platforms in future UK naval aviation.
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The name Proteus refers to the shape-shifting sea god of Greek mythology, chosen to reflect the helicopter’s modular design and its ability to adapt to multiple maritime missions and roles through reconfigurable payloads and autonomous behaviors. (Picture source: Leonardo)

By carrying out the first flight of the Proteus, the United Kingdom’s first truly autonomous full-size helicopter, from Predannack Airfield in Cornwall, the British Navy marked the transition of the programme from ground testing to airborne trials. The unmanned helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo UK, completed a short autonomous flight sequence in which it controlled its own flying systems without a human operator onboard, while remaining under continuous supervision by ground-based test pilots to manage safety. This flight represents the first airborne validation of a large autonomous helicopter intended to operate alongside crewed aircraft within the future UK Fleet Air Arm aviation concept.

The flight took place at Predannack, which serves as a satellite airfield for helicopters based at RNAS Culdrose near Helston and also functions as the National Drone Hub for the development of uncrewed and autonomous aerial systems, particularly those linked to naval operations. Engineers, technicians, and representatives from Leonardo, the Royal Navy, and UK Defence Innovation were present to observe the event. The location links the Proteus to existing Royal Navy helicopter operations in Cornwall while providing an environment dedicated to experimentation with autonomous flight systems and procedures. 

The origins of the Proteus can be traced back to August 2013, when the UK Ministry of Defence awarded a two-year £2.3 million contract to AgustaWestland, now part of Leonardo, to explore a Rotary Wing Unmanned Air System concept under the Anti-Submarine Warfare Spearhead programme. Early experimentation relied on the SW-4 Solo uncrewed helicopter, itself derived from the PZL SW-4 Puszczyk, which was used to trial autonomy, control laws, and ship integration concepts. In 2017, a second development phase was launched through an £8 million contract jointly funded by Leonardo and the Ministry of Defence, extending work on autonomy and mission relevance.

A major step occurred in July 2022, when a four-year £60 million contract was signed, which allowed the Proteus programme to support about 100 skilled jobs in the United Kingdom, with the aircraft identified as one of the world’s first full-size autonomous helicopters, joining the American S-70UAS U-Hawk. The maiden flight is aligned with objectives set out in the Strategic Defence Review, which outlines the creation of a New Hybrid Navy in which autonomous helicopters are expected to play a central role in hybrid air wings and the Atlantic Bastion programme, which is focused on securing the North Atlantic. As flight testing continues, data gathered from the Proteus by Leonardo is expected to inform the UK's future decisions on the integration of autonomous rotary-wing aircraft into Royal Navy and NATO maritime operations.

Before the maiden flight, the Proteus completed a series of ground-running trials in December 2025 at Leonardo’s Yeovil facility, during which the helicopter’s engines, sensors, and onboard systems were progressively tested and verified before flight clearance. At this stage, the helicopter has been designed and manufactured at Yeovil as a technology demonstrator rather than an operational fleet asset. The purpose of this demonstrator is to explore how large uncrewed helicopters could be integrated into the UK naval aviation structure, particularly in mixed formations where autonomous platforms operate alongside crewed helicopters as part of a future hybrid air wing.

The Proteus's payload architecture is intended to support maritime search radars, electro-optical and infrared sensor turrets, magnetic anomaly detection equipment, sonobuoy deployment and reception systems, electronic support measures, and communications relay payloads. (Picture source: British Navy)

The Proteus has been developed by Leonardo for more than a decade to support a wide range of maritime missions, with particular emphasis on anti-submarine warfare support and sea patrol tasks within the framework of the Atlantic Bastion strategy. In this role, the Proteus helicopter is intended to operate as part of a wider network, using information shared by allied ships, helicopters, submarines, and detection systems to support the detection and tracking of underwater contacts across large oceanic areas. The emphasis focuses on persistence and coverage in demanding maritime environments, allowing uncrewed platforms to assume tasks that would otherwise consume significant crewed aviation resources.

Developed using digital engineering methods, including a digital twin approach, the final external design of the unmanned helicopter was revealed in January 2025, confirming that the Proteus is based structurally on the Kopter AW09 light single-engine helicopter airframe, modified for autonomous operation and larger payload capacity. The drone has a five-bladed main rotor, a shrouded anti-torque tail rotor, and its airframe incorporates more than 40 components manufactured from advanced composite materials in key load-bearing structures to reduce weight and increase durability in corrosive maritime environments. In place of a traditional cockpit and cabin, the Proteus integrates several sensors and computer systems controlled by software to allow the aircraft to perceive its surroundings, process data, make decisions, and execute actions accordingly.

Proteus’ autonomy architecture is built around a fully integrated flight control and mission management system that combines navigation, perception, and decision-making functions within a redundant digital framework. The aircraft integrates inertial measurement units, global navigation satellite system receivers, air data computers, and obstacle-detection sensors such as lidar or radar, allowing continuous awareness of position, attitude, airspeed, and the surrounding environment. These inputs are processed through sensor-fusion computers that merge navigation data with terrain, atmospheric, and flight-state models to generate real-time situational estimates. On this basis, the flight computers execute guidance, navigation, and control logic with multiple redundancy layers intended to reduce single-point failure risks during autonomous operation.

The autonomy software stack is structured hierarchically to separate flight stability, navigation, and mission execution functions. At the lowest level, control laws manage rotorcraft stability, attitude control, and response to wind and turbulence without pilot input. Above this, navigation functions handle waypoint following, geofencing constraints, and dynamic route adjustment in response to environmental or mission changes. At the highest level, mission-management functions govern task sequencing, sensor tasking, and coordination with external platforms through datalinks, enabling the aircraft to operate within a broader naval force structure rather than as a standalone system.

In terms of scale and capability, the Proteus is positioned well beyond the Royal Navy’s existing unmanned aerial systems, such as Malloy octocopters and the Peregrine uncrewed helicopter used for surveillance. The Proteus represents a larger, more complex, and more autonomous asset than these systems, enabling consideration of higher-end mission sets. For this reason, the drone is designed with a payload capacity exceeding one tonne, allowing it to carry different equipment packages and operate in demanding weather conditions, including high sea states and strong winds, while reducing reliance on onboard aircrew. Although official maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) figures have not been disclosed publicly, the demonstrator's payload capacity is consistent with a three-tonne class vehicle when configured for autonomy and sensor integration, as the absence of a cockpit and crew accommodations enables a higher payload fraction for mission systems and fuel.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.