Royal Navy attack drone smashes into luxury yacht in Portsmouth Harbour causing thousands of pounds of damage

A Royal Navy attack drone smashed into a luxury racing yacht in Portsmouth Harbour, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

A 24-foot rigid inflatable drone, designated Rattler 4, struck the 55ft Lutine while the yacht was sailing - and had the right of way.

According to a harbour source, the vessel "went rogue" before the impact earlier this month.

The Lutine, valued at £400,000, belongs to the Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate.

Senior naval officers have now opened an investigation into the collision, The Sun revealed.

The Lutine sustained a substantial gouge to its stern and needed repairs in a dry dock following the crash.

Both vessels remained seaworthy despite suffering considerable damage.

The satellite-controlled drones are engineered to attack warships in coordinated "wolf pack" formations.

Seven Rattlers have been conducting military exercises in Portsmouth Harbour since March.

This month's expensive smash is not the first incident involving the Rattler drone fleet.

Last year, both a tug and a Gosport ferry were forced to take evasive action to avoid one of the craft.

They were supposed to maintain a minimum distance of 650ft from other ships.

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The Fleet Experimentation Squadron, responsible for testing advanced naval technology, had the drones built "in a matter of weeks".

Portsmouth Harbour spans 55 square miles and accommodates a major naval base, cross-channel ferries, cargo operations, marinas, and services to the Isle of Wight and Gosport.

The King's Harbour Master Portsmouth had issued advance warning to mariners about the drone trials.

The notice said exercises would be called off "if a close-quarters situation is developing".

It also confirmed the USVs will be remotely controlled and will comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea throughout.

Local sailors reported that while drone testing has become more frequent, most exercises typically occur beyond the bounds of the marina.

One mariner told The Sun: "We've seen the Lutine a lot but didn't know what happened. We just saw the damage."

The Royal Navy confirmed it is examining the incident.

A spokesman said: "We are investigating an incident which occurred between a Royal Navy Rattler craft and a civilian yacht during a controlled training exercise in an area within Portsmouth Harbour."

Guy Williams, commodore of Lloyd's Yacht Club, said: "We can confirm the incident occurred - but have nothing else to add."

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