MoD trials drones for ship servicing

The navy has been using high-definition stills and video to assess the warship's vast exterior

The Royal Navy has been trialling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond at Portsmouth Naval Base using high-definition stills and video to assess the state of the warship's vast exterior.

The remote-controlled aircraft removes the need for costly scaffolding, cherry-pickers and ladders, meaning surveys can be carried out in hours rather than days, or even weeks, as they can reach inaccessible areas even while at sea.

Diamond's commanding officer, Commander Marcus Hember, said: "The Royal Navy is an advanced high-tech service and the ability to reduce time and cost during these maintenance periods, as well as allowing ships to diagnose their own defects at sea, will enhance the operational capability and flexibility of the navy deployed worldwide."