Images of remotely piloted aircraft soaring over a naval fleet might seem like an ultramodern picture. But unmanned aircraft are nothing new to the Fleet Air Arm, which has provided remotely piloted targets for gunnery practice since 1953. This started with the jet-powered Jindivik pilotless aircraft being used as a target, then for target towing before retirement in 1998. Sea Sparrow missiles were tested by firing at Kalkara aircraft, the Jindivik’s successor. Navy now has a different generation of remotely piloted aircraft in mind with fixed and rotary-wing maritime tactical unmanned air systems undergoing evaluation. The first of these is the ScanEagle…
