Drone on Special Marine Mission

Drone on Special Marine Mission

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In the near future, drones will be used to test and evaluate ships’ new laser weapons. Researchers from the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) successfully launched and landed a drone from a moving ship. They made a quadcopter take off, hover and fly alongside the side of the ship, and then land from a stationary and moving ship. 

The drone will eventually carry a special piece of electronics that will measure key performance parameters of the Navy’s high-power and newer Laser Weapon System Demonstrator, currently installed on USS Portland (LPD 27). The ship will use the drone as an instrumented target and the electronics will collect the data.

The quadcopter was operating with Planck Aerosystems’ autonomous navigation software certified on earlier this year. The software is specially designed so Autonomous Aerial Vehicles (UAV) correctly maneuver and operate independently from ships and other moving platforms that heave and roll amid high winds and tight spaces.