Article

During a routine patrol in the Gulf of Oman, Lieutenant Commander Adrian Hill successfully prevented a £2.5 million Peregrine drone from crashing into the sea while operating aboard HMS Lancaster. The drone, in autonomous mode, experienced a computer error and began descending rapidly.

Hill took manual control just before it came within one to two feet of the water, a quarter of a second from impact. He landed the drone safely and received a commendation, becoming the first drone pilot with a Fleet Air Arm 'Green Endorsement'. The Peregrine drone is a 200-kilogram S-100 Camcopter developed by Schiebel.