英國皇家海軍長(zhǎng)期以來一直在尋求各種無人機(jī)和相關(guān)系統(tǒng)，以協(xié)助和改善其部隊(duì)在世界各地的行動(dòng)，但現(xiàn)在其專業(yè)航空技術(shù)部門更進(jìn)一步，終于生產(chǎn)了一款自己的無人機(jī)。

The UK’s Royal Navy has long pursued a variety of UAVs and related systems to assist and improve operations of its forces around the world, but now its specialized aviation tech unit has taken a step further by finally producing a drone of its very own. 

皇家軍隊(duì)近日自豪地宣布來自其700X海軍航空中隊(duì)的工程師已經(jīng)開始他們重達(dá)20千克的四旋翼飛機(jī)進(jìn)行初步試驗(yàn)，他們親切地稱之為“海象”。在無人機(jī)方面不斷地研究是為了將該無人機(jī)從一個(gè)精致的自制飛機(jī)變成一個(gè)經(jīng)測(cè)試驗(yàn)證的飛機(jī)，能夠用于海軍單位執(zhí)行任務(wù)的新型航空解決方案。

The Royal Navy proudly revealedrecently that engineers from its 700X Naval Air Squadron had begun initial trials of their 20 kilogram quadcopter they’ve affectionately dubbed “Walrus.” Continued work on the UAV will seek to develop it from its sophisticated DYI state toward a test-proven craft that may be used in preparing new aerial solutions for mission objectives naval units have. 

700X海軍中隊(duì)位于康沃爾郡西南部蜥蜴半島的卡爾德羅斯，（X代表實(shí)驗(yàn)性）它的任務(wù)時(shí)監(jiān)視新型無人機(jī)遙控航空技術(shù)的發(fā)展。該組織正在尋找方法使用無人機(jī)完成傳統(tǒng)飛機(jī)所不能履行的皇家海軍和其他英國武裝部隊(duì)職責(zé)任務(wù)或者傳統(tǒng)飛機(jī)需要更高成本完成的任務(wù)，與行業(yè)合作伙伴開發(fā)調(diào)整無人機(jī)及其運(yùn)營(yíng)系統(tǒng)。

Located in Culdrose on Cornwall’s southwestern Lizard Peninsula, the 700X Naval Air Squadron (“X”representing experimental) is tasked with overseeing the development of new, uncrewed, remotely piloted aerial tech. In finding ways to use drones to fulfill duties for Royal Navy and other UK armed forces that traditional craft either cannot do, or can carry out at much higher costs, the unit has worked on and adapted UAVs and operating systems from industry partners.

700X海軍航空中隊(duì)通過其新自制的海象無人機(jī)首次系留控制飛行，打算將其用作內(nèi)部工具，以評(píng)估和準(zhǔn)備第三方空中系統(tǒng)供皇家海軍和其他部隊(duì)部署。

In putting its new, self-conceived Walrus drone through its first tethered control flights, 700X Naval Air Squadron is looking to use it as an in-house tool to evaluate and ready third-party aerial systems for deployment by Royal Navy and other forces.

監(jiān)管海象測(cè)試的中尉Kristian Lilley在皇家海軍公報(bào)中表示，“這是我們獲得軍事航空管理局認(rèn)可制造商地位的重要一步，海象無人機(jī)以高航空標(biāo)準(zhǔn)制造，專門用于傳感器和其他傳感載荷的測(cè)試，它將作為我們獨(dú)立的測(cè)試評(píng)價(jià)平臺(tái)。因?yàn)檫@是我們所建造的，所以我們了解這個(gè)系統(tǒng)并知曉其性能。”

“It’s an important step in our recognition of endorsed manufacturer status with the Military Aviation Authority,”Lieutenant Kristian Lilley, who oversees Walrus testing, said in a Royal Navy communiqué. “Built to high aviation standards, the Walrus will be used specifically as a testbed for sensors and other sensitive payloads. It will be our independent test and evaluation platform. As we’ve built it, we know the system and exactly what it’s capable of.” 

近年來，700X海軍航空中隊(duì)正在努力開發(fā)皇家海軍的無人機(jī)系統(tǒng)，提供船舶之間的長(zhǎng)途貨物運(yùn)輸，前線軍隊(duì)的快速血液供應(yīng)，甚至協(xié)助營(yíng)救落水水手。其研究也對(duì)重型無人機(jī)的選擇提供了指導(dǎo)意見，促進(jìn)三明治島企鵝的人口普查工作。

In recent years the 700X Naval Air Squadron has worked on drone systems for the Royal Navy that can provide long-haul cargo deliveries to or between ships, speed blood supplies to frontline forces, and even assist rescue of overboard sailors. Its research has also guided the selection of heavy-lift drones, and facilitated census operations of Sandwich Island penguins. 

以第二次世界大戰(zhàn)可以在水上起飛、降落和閑置的老式飛機(jī)命名，新生海象無人機(jī)的一般概念已經(jīng)被700X 海軍航空中隊(duì)工程師無視了一段時(shí)間。

Named after World War II vintage planes that could takeoff, land, and idle on water, the general concept of the nascent Walrus UAV has been kicked around by 700X Naval Air Squadron engineers for a while.

但是現(xiàn)在無人機(jī)的第一部原型機(jī)已經(jīng)組裝完成，并在進(jìn)行初步試驗(yàn)。Lilley表示它將變成皇家海軍研究和無人機(jī)部署流程不可或缺的一部分。

But now the first prototype of the drone is assembled and going through its initial testing, Lilley says it will become an integral part of the Royal Navy’s research and drone deployment process. 

“我們現(xiàn)在正在在一個(gè)受控的環(huán)境下使用嚴(yán)格的制度對(duì)該無人機(jī)進(jìn)行測(cè)試...并且我們相信該試驗(yàn)?zāi)軌蛘_且安全地運(yùn)行，我們可能會(huì)在新年進(jìn)行第一次試飛。該技術(shù)已經(jīng)存在了幾年了，但是我們看到它在不斷發(fā)展，尤其是規(guī)模化發(fā)展。毋庸置疑，它會(huì)繼續(xù)存在并將在我們的生活中不斷發(fā)揮其作用。”

“We’re now testing it using a rigorous regime here in a controlled environment…(and) when we’re confident it’s operating correctly and safely, we’ll conduct our first flying tests, probably in the new year,” Lilley said. “This technology has been around for a few years, but we’ve really seen it expand recently, particularly in scale. There’s no doubt that it’s here to stay and will increasingly play a role in all our lives.”