The HYDRA-400 has taken off for the first time (Image: Hydra Drones Limited)
Wounded British troops could be airlifted to safety from the frontline thanks to a new first-of-its-kind drone which has completed its first flight. The HYDRA-400, a new-generation ultra heavy-lift drone, is being billed as a low-cost alternative to helicopters and could be used in a variety of roles in both the military and civilian world.
The British-built uncrewed aerial vehicle, which can be transported in the back of a flatbed truck, can lift up to 400 kilogrammes, meaning it can easily carry injured soldiers or be fitted with missiles. Hampshire-based manufacturer Hybrid Drones believes the HYDRA-400’s lift capability is greater than any other uncrewed aircraft in the world. It can be assembled and ready for flight in a matter of minutes and is already drawing attention from the British Army, while talks have also been held with several NATO partners.
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Tom O’Connor, a former Army aircraft engineer and Managing Director of Hybrid Drones, said while HYDRA has been designed to carry out a range of duties, rescuing stranded soldiers is particularly important.
“Pulling somebody out of the field, who’s it’s their only way out, without risking any other lives through using alternative platforms to get in there and get them help, that’s a challenge we want to take,” he told the Express.
There have been recent examples of hurt Ukrainian soldiers being rescued from the battlefield by ground drones.
Wounded troops can be carried to safety on the new drone (Image: Hydra Drones Limited)
The UK is increasingly focusing on developing its uncrewed capabilities, with the technology playing a crucial role in the war in Ukraine.
Troops rescued by the HYDRA-400 will be placed onto a ‘casualty evacuation pod’, equipped with everything you’d expect to find in an ambulance, including ventilation and a drip.
The pod has ballistic protection, meaning personnel can be protected from more harm as they are airlifted to safety.
Cleve Wiltz, from ZOLL Medical which helped design the kit, said: “Our devices, such as patient monitors, ventilators, oxygen systems, blood warmers, and infusion pumps, can be integrated onto drones so that essential care can begin as soon as an injured person is reached.”
As it stands, the injured soldier would have to get into the pod themselves or with the help of a comrade, however there are plans for this to be done totally uncrewed.
The evacuation pod includes a number of pieces of medical equipment (Image: Hydra Drones Limited)
It’s hoped an electronic arm could attach a winch hook cable onto the casualty and drag them into the pod, before evacuating them for further medical treatment.
The HYDRA-400, built by a small team of British engineers, has anti-jamming capabilities and can fly fully electric or as a hybrid, using two, four or six jets.
Rescuing a soldier would only require electric-power, making the drone quieter.
It is seen as a significantly cheaper option to current defence helicopters which can carry out similar tasks.
HYDRA-400 costs £1,080 to operate per hour, compared to £3,451 for Apache and £4,033 for Wildcat, according figures from the 2018/19 financial year.
The first prototype was built in less than three months following around £1 million of investment over a six-year period.
Lead engineer Alfie Lockrey said the drone performed “exactly as we hoped” in its first flight tests in southern England.
It is expected to go through further trials in the coming months, including its first test-fire in March.
The UAV has been designed to provide fire support on the battlefield and has been billed as ‘an Apache gunship in the boot of a soldier’s car’.
HYDRA 400’s first flight was held in a hangar (Image: Hydra Drones Limited)
There were hopes it could fly alongside the Army’s Apache fleet as a loyal wingman, however was not selected in the shortlist by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Its expected maximum range of 43.5 miles, combined with airlift capacity, means it is also set to be well-suited to moving ammunition and supplies across frontlines.
Additionally, it is being touted for non-defence roles, including firefighting, at sea logistics and disaster response.
The aircraft could drop fire retardant over wildfires and high-rise buildings, while in crises like earthquakes, it is hoped it could lift debris and access hard to reach areas that traditional aircraft and equipment cannot.
A mountain rescue role is another potential option, flying autonomously to bring people to safety.
Hybrid Drones has received backing from MBDA, one of Europe’s biggest defence primes.
The firm is now looking to raise a further £4 million for further testing and development of the HYDRA-400.