Agusta Westland, the Yeovil-based aircraft manufacturer, has completed a capability concept demonstration (CCD) contract for the Ministry of Defence.

The demonstrations of the MoD’s Rotary Wing Unmanned Aerial System included 27hr of demonstration flying and 22 automatic simulated deck landings.

Agusta Westland was the prime contractor, leading a team that included Atlas Elektronik UK, BAE Systems, Pelydryn Ltd and Finmeccanica-Selex ES.

Royal Navy Commander Bow Wheaton said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of the Rotary Wing UAS demonstration project, and we have learnt a lot that will inform future options. The Rotary Wing UAS offers a niche combination of endurance and payload, while being able to launch and recover from relatively small warships with a flight deck.”