Royal Navy Flies Mega Mojave Drone from Aircraft Carrier

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

A large drone aircraft has been operated from one of Britain's aircraft carriers for the first time, indicating how the Royal Navy intends to expand its air power beyond the meager number of F-35 fighters it currently has at its disposal.

The "Mojave" aircraft took off and landed back on the carrier HMS Prince of Wales last week in trials being conducted off the eastern coast of the US. It is part of the Predator-series family of fixed-wing drones built by General Atomics, and much larger and more capable than other drones the Royal Navy has operated until now.

It is also said to be the first time that any navy other than that of America has been able to fly such an unmanned aircraft from one of their ships.

"The Mojave trial is a European first - the first time that a Remotely Piloted Air System of this size has operated to and from an aircraft carrier outside of the United States," Royal Navy director of Develop, Rear Admiral James Parkin, said in a statement.

Parkin said the success of the trial "heralds a new dawn in how we conduct maritime aviation," hailing it as another step in the evolution of the Royal Navy's carrier strike group into a mixed crewed and uncrewed fighting force.

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