Upgraded Royal Navy aircraft carriers could soon launch drones

The Royal Navy plans to adapt aircraft carriers to launch drones as part of its “future maritime vision”.

The Navy confirmed it was looking at how it can introduce a new way of sending aircraft off the flight decks of both aircraft carriers, rather than relying on the ramp for jets to take off.

The new aircraft launch and recovery systems would “open up” the flight deck to a broader range of aircrafts and drones.

The Telegraph understands that the reason to explore the new ramp is “part of the Navy’s future maritime vision” that shows a shift away from relying on fighter jets.

Currently, both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are fitted for F-35s.

However, a Navy source explained that the “challenge is to get an aeroplane in the sky”, which is where the aircraft’s ramp is used.

Because of the aircraft’s weight when loaded with ordinance, it makes landing vertically too difficult there as it is too heavy. So they drop their ordinance before they land, which is wasteful.

“In future, drones will move heavy items and that’s what we are moving towards,” they said.

Colonel Phil Kelly, the head of carrier strike and maritime aviation within the Royal Navy’s Develop Directorate, said: “We are looking to move from short take-off and landing, then to short take-off but arrested recovery, and then to [catapult assisted] take-off but arrested recovery.

“We are looking at a demonstrable progression that spreads out the financial cost and incrementally improves capability.”

The first step would be to increase the available length for the unassisted launch of drones.

Col Kelly added: “This November, we will [launch] a Mojave aircraft off the angle of the flight deck off the US east coast.

“This aircraft can take off in 300ft of runway so enough for the trial [but] we have already undertaken design work to add sponsons and make a full run of 700ft available.”

He said that a final step would be to add catapults that “would allow us to operate the heaviest aircraft you can imagine”.

Currently, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s flight deck has a 12.5 degree ski-ramp fitted forward, which is specifically designed for an F-35.

Joint testing with the US

The retrofit arrestor gear and assisted launch equipment will be part of a broader Future Maritime Aviation Force vision, a multi-strand programme exploring the widespread fielding of uncrewed aviation across the surface fleet, with a specific focus on future carrier aviation.

The Navy source added that it was evolving and “recognising that drones don’t need to take off the ramp”.

They said: “The future isn’t just F-35s, and so the aircraft carriers need to look for new capabilities in partnership with that. It will be more like a traditional aeroplane flying on a runway.”

They added that some initiatives that are being tested with the US are proving jets can get a rolling landing on the carriers, “not vertically”.

“If the Navy can do it with F-35s, then we don’t just have to use F-35s, we could use other American aircrafts like F-18s,” they said.