The Royal Navy has successfully conducted the first launch of a domestically developed strike drone from the experimental vessel XV Patrick Blackett. The milestone took place during the Neptune Reach exercises in June 2026, where the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force collaborated under Project Vantage, an initiative designed to accelerate the testing and evaluation of unmanned systems.
According to the UK Defence Journal, the drone was launched using a deck-mounted catapult capable of accelerating UAVs to 55 meters per second.
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The launch system used by the Royal Navy bears a strong resemblance to the Cata B catapult produced by Estonia's Threod Systems. Notably, the same family of launchers is widely used by Ukraine's Defense Forces to launch long-range strike drones against targets inside russia. Earlier this year, in March 2026, it also became known that the United Kingdom had selected Cata launchers for its Asgard program because they were the only system meeting the project's technical requirements.
The demonstration reflects the Royal Navy's broader ambition to build a hybrid fleet integrating both crewed and uncrewed platforms. UK Minister for Defence Procurement Luke Pollard emphasized this approach, stating:
"By bringing together the expertise of the Army and the Royal Navy to launch strike drones from ships at sea, we are accelerating the development of the capabilities our Armed Forces need to stay ahead of our adversaries."
The launch also aligns with Britain's evolving naval modernization plans. Rather than focusing exclusively on traditional surface combatants, the Royal Navy is now pursuing a new class of drone command ships. Current plans envision six vessels entering service, with the first expected in the early 2030s, replacing earlier concepts for the Type 83 guided-missile destroyer.
These future ships are expected to control a wide range of unmanned platforms, including aerial, surface, and underwater drones, while also contributing to missions such as air defense and fleet command.
The UAV used during the trial was the Nyan strike drone, developed by Callen-Lenz, a BAE Systems company. The system has already completed ground operational testing, and more than 1,000 examples have reportedly been produced.
Previously, Defense Express reported that French defense experts increasingly see Ukraine's drone industry as a potential future competitor while also exploring opportunities for cooperation with Ukrainian manufacturers.
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