Special delivery: Marines let the drone take the strain with mortars and machine guns
The success of a ground operation is largely down to good logistics – and for Royal Marines out in Norway, the supply chain has received a lift from some heavy duty drones.
Malloy Aeronautics T150B quadcopters have successfully carried out a number of sorties, including transporting 81mm mortars, General Purpose Machine Guns, ammunition, blood and even a bomb disposal robot.
The personnel operating the drones come from Delta Squadron's Malloy Flight, which is part of the Devon-based Commando Logistic Regiment.
Minimising exposure to the enemy
Having heavy kit delivered directly to those who need it in the field is not only efficient, but limits the need for high-risk movement across the ground, especially in a contested environment.
The Malloy drones can deliver by air equipment and supplies that would otherwise require personnel to traverse the Arctic landscape in an all-terrain vehicle or even on skis.
The three members of Malloy Flight operated in temperatures as low as -28°C as they carried out flights at the Blåtinden Ranges in the Troms region of Norway.
A year-round presence
The success of the T150 is important as the Royal Marines are returning in force to the Arctic Circle as the UK and Norway begin a new era of joint operations in defence of Nato's northern flank.
A recent agreement between the two nations is paving the way for the Commando Force to operate in Norway all year round, broadening its current commitment of annual winter deployments.
The commander of Malloy Flight, Colour Sergeant Dan Lyness, said: "We have been able to bring our experience from working in the UK to the High North and learn to operate with all the challenges of operating in temperatures below zero.
"This is a completely new capability that we are learning to exploit to enable greater movement on the ground with a reduced risk to life leveraging modern technology to our advantage."
Lessons learned from Ukraine
CSgt Lyness added: "Heavy-lift Uncrewed Aerial Systems have been used extensively in the Russia/Ukraine conflict with many new use cases.
"So it is critical we master this emerging capability quickly [and] training in the High North is a key part of that."
The Malloy T150B, which was declared ready for frontline operations last year after years of trials, can lift up to 68kg, fly up to 40 minutes and has a top speed of 60mph.
It is designed to carry ammunition, weaponry, food and team and medical supplies to Royal Marines operating in all manner of extreme environments.
Beasts of burden
The first operational deployment to Norway with the Royal Marines also saw Delta Squadron assist mortar troops from 40 and 45 Commando to keep them moving forward without the need to carry their own weaponry.
The Malloy T150 flew the barrel, tripod and base plate for their 81mm mortars to their new firing lines, while also moving ammunition.
Fire Support Group from Charlie Company, 40 Commando, also benefited from the help of the Malloys, with their General Purpose Machine Guns and tripods moved to new positions, taking the burden away from the teams on the ground.
The drone operators also passed on critical knowledge of how to load and receive cargos from the drones, making future operations more seamless.
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