Wildcat and Martlet: The combination providing a ring of steel around warships
In response to a hangar at RAF Akrotiri being hit by a drone, the Prime Minister has announced Britain will send HMS Dragon to defend Cyprus.
One of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 air defence destroyers, she is being readied to depart for the Mediterranean.
The warship will be accompanied by two Wildcat helicopters equipped with so-called "drone-busting" Martlet missiles.
The weapons system is part of the Wildcat helicopter's maritime attack role – providing a so-called ring of steel around warships.
The Martlet missile is released from the helicopter in 0.3 seconds and accelerates to one-and-a-half times the speed of sound towards its target.
How does the missile find its target?
The missile is targeted by a laser. There is a camera on the nose of the aircraft, which has been modified to have an additional laser used for targeting.
In terms of targeting, it's a thumb on a joystick, effectively to move the camera, which in turn moves the laser and changes the positioning of the missile.
What can the missile target?
As a result of its remarkable precision, the Martlet missile is capable of targeting a threat across land, sea and air.
The missiles saw their operational debut on the Wildcat helicopters in 2021, since when their role has expanded.
No longer solely focused on traditional adversaries, attention has been redirected towards combating drones.
What else are the Wildcats armed with?
Based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, 815 Naval Air Squadron stands ever-ready to push the boundaries of the Wildcat's capabilities.
Alongside the Martlet and Sea Venom missiles, these versatile helicopters boast additional armaments including the M3 cabin-mounted gun and Stingray torpedoes.
In the ever-changing landscape of modern warfare, the versatility of the Wildcat helicopter has never been more vital.
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