Unmanned aircraft fills air support role aboard Navy destroyer based in Japan

[Tony]

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – The U.S. Navy tried out a new drone system recently aboard one of its older destroyers, a project that, if successful, could provide low impact, unmanned air support for the warship.

The Aerosonde Small Unmanned Aircraft System, property of defense contractor Textron, Inc., successfully completed its first flight on April 4 from the deck of the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins, according to a company news release that day.