๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ค๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ
The Royal Navy plans to adaptย aircraft carriersย to launch drones as part of itsย โfuture maritime visionโ.
The Navy confirmed it was looking at how it can introduceย a new way of sending aircraftย 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 โopen upโ the flight deck to a broader range of aircrafts and drones.
The Telegraph understands that the reason to explore the new ramp isย โpart of the Navyโs future maritime visionโย that shows a shift away from relying on fighter jets.
Currently, bothย HMS Queen Elizabethย andย HMS Prince of Walesย are fitted for F-35s.
However, a Navy source explained that the โchallenge is to get an aeroplane in the skyโ, which is where the aircraftโs ramp is used.
Because of the aircraftโs 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.
โIn future, drones will move heavy items and thatโs what we are moving towards,โ they said.
Colonel Phil Kelly, the head of carrier strike and maritime aviation within the Royal Navyโs Develop Directorate, said: โWe 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.
โWe are looking at a demonstrable progression that spreads out the financial cost and incrementally improves capability.โ
The first step would be to increase the available length for the unassisted launch of drones.
Col Kelly added: โThis November, we will [launch] a Mojave aircraft off the angle of the flight deck off the US east coast.
โThis 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.โ
He said that a final step would be to add catapults that โwould allow us to operate the heaviest aircraft you can imagineโ.
Currently, HMS Queen Elizabethโs 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 โrecognising that drones donโt need to take off the rampโ.
They said: โThe future isnโt 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.โ
They added that some initiatives that are being tested with the US are proving jets can get a rolling landing on the carriers, โnot verticallyโ.
โIf the Navy can do it with F-35s, then we donโt just have to use F-35s, we could use other American aircrafts like F-18s,โ they said.