DOPPELADLER.COM

Austrian manufacturer Schiebel has provided an update on its Peregrine rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and showcased its S-301 UAV with Thales' rockets at the UMEX 2026 exhibition, held in Abu Dhabi from 20 to 22 January.

Peregrine progress

Speaking to Janes at UMEX on 21 January, Neil Hunter, director for business development at Schiebel, provided an update on the Peregrine intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) UAV for the UK Royal Navy (RN). Hunter said that Peregrine is to be brought back to the United Kingdom with a short-term plan for the system to be used for testing at Predannack airfield, at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose. “In parallel”, he said, “the navy and the MoD [Ministry of Defence] have endorsed a review note [currently being assessed] … to put the Peregrine solution on an OPV [offshore patrol vessel]”. The RN currently operates three River Batch I-class OPVs and five Forth (River Batch II)-class OPVs.

Peregrine is based on Schiebel's Camcopter S-100 platform and is equipped with the Thales I-Master radar, an L3 Harris Wescam electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) surveillance pod, and Sagetech identification friend-or-foe (IFF) capability. The system was embarked on the Duke (Type 23)-class frigate HMS Lancaster (F 229) in the Gulf from late 2024 until the frigate's decommissioning in 2025. Hunter said that challenges were experienced due to Lancaster being close to the end of its operational life but added that the UAV had proven successful, including operating alongside the frigate's Wildcat helicopter on counter-narcotics operations.