The Royal Navy is steadfastly advancing into the realm of unmanned aviation, integrating a variety of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as it steers towards an ambitious vision for its naval aviation capabilities by 2040. With recent trials and developments, the service is cementing its strategy to operate “uncrewed where possible, crewed where necessary,” in alignment with its new Maritime Operating Concept (MarOpC).
Aiming to bolster its maritime might, the RN is judiciously experimenting with systems that promise greater operational flexibility, while cautiously considering the grander aspiration of catapult and arrestor gear-equipped carriers in the future.
In the past year, significant strides have been made with over 40 UAS either in service or under evaluation. The Aerovironment PUMA 3AE, currently operational and providing basic ISR capacity, exhibits the RN’s commitment to exploring the operational benefits of UAS in scenarios like GPS-compromised environments.
Meanwhile, the eagerly anticipated deployment of the S-100 camcopter ISR platform, known as PEREGRINE, aboard HMS Lancaster this summer heralds a genuine capability enhancement for the fleet.
The Leonardo PROTEUS heavy RWUAS and the MALLOY TRV 150 UAS also denote the RN’s determination to test the waters of aerial innovation, with the latter poised for operational testing during the CSG25 deployment aboard HMS Prince of Wales.
The SYOS SA200C and the Tekever AR5 further expand the RN’s UAS capabilities, each designed with specific logistical and reconnaissance missions in mind.
Despite the enthusiasm for uncrewed platforms, the RN recognizes the enduring need for crewed systems in critical roles such as personnel transport and SAR operations, categorized under Future Crewed Maritime Air Systems (FCMAS).
This balanced approach signifies a profound understanding of the complementary relationship between human expertise and autonomous technology.
In an audacious technological leap, the Royal Navy has conveyed plans under Project Ark Royal to retrofit its Queen Elizabeth class carriers with assisted launch systems and arrestor gear.
This would expand the carriers’ operational scope to embrace a variety of fixed-wing drones and potentially conventional takeoff and landing crewed aircraft. The project, still very much in the research and development phase, contemplates a financial spread across various stages of capability improvement.
The recent successful trial involving the General Atomics Mojave drone, capable of short takeoff and landing, indicates the immediate feasibility of introducing drones to carrier operations without necessitating significant structural changes.
The Mojave’s trial, performed without a payload and in serene conditions, suggests that more extensive drone usage could soon be a reality for the RN, albeit with hurdles such as accommodating the necessary systems on the carriers and devising robust operational frameworks.
Looking to the horizon, Project Vixen carries the promise of realizing the RN’s aspirations for the larger, more versatile UAS capable of undertaking diverse missions like aerial refueling, and surveillance. This, coupled with other international efforts, points to a global trend of enhancing carrier capabilities with fixed-wing drones.
With the Royal Navy’s dedicated focus on scalable experimentation and a system of systems approach to maritime aviation, it’s clear that the path to an advanced naval air power status, inclusive of drones, is being paved with practicality and strategic innovation.
However, the ambitious vision of a CATOBAR-equipped carrier, while potentially transformative, remains a complex and costly proposition—one that will require careful consideration as the Royal Navy charts its course toward the future of maritime supremacy.
Relevant articles:
– Progress report – Royal Navy Maritime Aviation Transformation, Navy Lookout
– Navy Lookout, Navy Lookout
– Royal Navy Wants To Refit Its Carriers With Catapults, Arresting Wires, The War Zone