Overview
- Proteus flew from Predannack airfield on the Lizard Peninsula after recent ground-running and systems checks at Leonardo’s Yeovil site.
- During the initial sortie, the aircraft managed its own flying controls without pilot input under continuous monitoring by ground-based test pilots.
- The demonstrator is a £60 million programme developed in the UK that supports about 100 skilled jobs at Leonardo’s Yeovil facility.
- Royal Navy and government officials frame the effort as a step toward persistent maritime coverage, with roles such as anti-submarine surveillance under the Atlantic Bastion strategy.
- Leonardo and the MOD describe Proteus as a technology testbed focused on its autonomy software, with further flight trials and integration work planned rather than a near-term production platform.