HMS Bangor receives supplies from USV in RN first
HMS Bangor's seaboat meets the US USV. (Photo: UK MoD/ Crown Copyright)
As tested by the RN, USVs can allow ships to be resupplied without breaking off operations.
The UK RN Sandown-class minehunter HMS Bangor received supplies from a USV while on operations for the first time as part of a US-UK collaboration.
Sailors from Bangor collected equipment ferried to the MCMV by a small US USV, allowing a minehunting exercise to continue.
The US has used the USV to hunt mines, drop a sonar into the water and patrol a predetermined area.
Lt Cdr Rob Couzens, CO of HMS Bangor, said: ‘The idea is that a minehunter will be able to be in the middle of a minefield hunting mines and that it wouldn’t need to break task to go to replenish – it would be able to be sent stores autonomously towards its position, maintaining minehunting operations,’
During the trial with Bangor, the USV delivered supplies for the minehunter’s Seafox system.
The USV was launched from the dock of LSD(A) RFA Lyme Bay and directed towards Bangor for the trial.
Bangor launched its sea boat to collect the supplies; however, in the long term, the goal is for the USV to berth alongside the minehunter, allowing stores to be lifted off directly.
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