Ultra High Tech Banshee Drone Launched From HMS Prince Of Wales Aircraft Carrier

A Banshee drone that looks more like a miniature fighter jet travels at blistering speeds at an altitude of 25,000 feet is launched from the deck of the HMS Prince of Wales.

Footage of the fixed-wing drone called the QinetiQ Banshee Jet 80+ being launched was released by the Royal Navy on Sept. 29

The Banshee can be seen launching from the aircraft carrier deck and then soaring high above the sea during its test flight.

The jet-powered drone, can reach an altitude of 7,620 metres (25,000 feet) and fly at speeds in excess of 740 kph (460 mph).

According to QinetiQ's website, the Banshee is fitted with twin 45-kilogramkilograms thrust gas turbine engines giving a total of 90 kilogrammes of static thrust.

The Navy hope that the drone will play part in future training exercises where crews practice defending against increasingly advanced jets and missiles.

"There is a real need for a low-cost drone such as the Banshee that can replicate a range of the threats in the skies and provide a testbed for future payloads," Commander Rob Taylor, lead for Royal Navy air test and evaluation group said in a release. “The key to this is that a warship can carry this drone with it on operations, launch it and use it to keep personnel razor-sharp in countering threats from above.”
The test launch, Taylor said, is the first step in working out how the navy will be able to use drones like the Banshee in the future.
HMS Prince of Whales
September, 2021
(Royal Navy)
#Military #Drone

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