British Navy launches strike drones from aircraft carrier for the first time — AeroTime
The UK Royal Navy has for the first time launched four Nyan Maritime single-use strike drones from the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. The tests took place in mid-October 2026 in the North Atlantic during the Neptune Reach B exercise.
As AeroTime reports, BAE Systems said that all four aircraft reached their designated strike points. The Nyan drone is developed and manufactured by Callen-Lenz, a subsidiary of BAE Systems. Its wingspan is 2.9 metres, and the aircraft is designed for high-precision strikes.
Testing as part of Project Vantage
The launch from the aircraft carrier followed Nyan's first maritime demonstration in July 2026. At that time, the drone was launched from a deck-mounted launcher on the experimental vessel XV Patrick Blackett off England's southern coast while the ship was underway.
Both testing stages, Neptune Reach A and Neptune Reach B, are part of Project Vantage. This is a joint initiative of the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force intended to accelerate the testing and introduction of maritime strike drones.
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Tekever AR5 was also tested
HMS Queen Elizabeth also hosted Heavy Lift Challenge 3, during which a Tekever AR5 drone took off from and landed on a Royal Navy aircraft carrier for the first time. The aircraft, with a seven-metre wingspan, can carry up to 80 kilograms of payload.
According to Tekever, the AR5 departed from a flight control centre in Atouguia da Baleia, Portugal, and reached the aircraft carrier in about 90 minutes. On its deck, the drone made two landings and two takeoffs before returning to Portugal. The military assessed its potential use for logistics, supply, intelligence, surveillance, target designation and reconnaissance.
The Royal Navy views the Nyan and AR5 tests as a step toward forming a mixed carrier air wing in which unmanned systems will operate alongside crewed F-35B fighter jets.
