The Royal Navy carried out a first-of-its-kind drone delivery between warships during its 2025 Indo-Pacific mission, using a British-built quadcopter to transfer supplies across the Carrier Strike Group.
A Malloy T-150 drone transported spare and repair parts from flagship HMS Prince of Wales to Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless. The flight covered just over a mile, with the aircraft operating autonomously for take-off and the main sortie before being handed over to the crew of Dauntless for a controlled landing on its flight deck.
The trial formed part of efforts to find cheaper and more efficient alternatives to helicopters or boats for logistics tasks, enabling those assets to focus on operational roles.
It aligned with the Navy’s wider ambition to equip its Queen Elizabeth-class carriers with hybrid air wings that combine fast jets, long-range weapons, and advanced drones, as set out in the UK Strategic Defence Review.
Lieutenant Matt Parfitt, 700X Pioneer Flight Commander, said: “This is a key milestone for the trial, achieved by all the hard work that everyone has put in. I’m proud to have achieved this first for the Royal Navy and excited to progress further over the duration of the deployment.”
Captain Colin McGannity, Commander Air Group, UK Carrier Strike Group, added: “This milestone in the Malloy trials is a step toward the vision of a fully integrated hybrid carrier air wing. By taking some of the logistics burden, Malloy will allow our naval helicopters to concentrate on their core outputs, while delivering, rapid, more efficient resupply across the whole Strike Group.
“The really exciting bit is that we then plan to incorporate these lessons to be able to use UAVs for many other roles, including options for warfighting.”
The drone operation took place during Operation Highmast, the eight-month deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group to the Indo-Pacific. To date, the uncrewed systems had carried out nearly 150 deck landings and logged more than 20 hours of flight time.
During the latest phase, as the Strike Group approached port visits in Japan, 700X Naval Air Squadron launched the Malloy T-150 – an eight-rotor aircraft able to carry up to 68kg and fly at speeds of up to 60mph.
Malloy Aeronautics, the British manufacturer of the drone, has been owned by BAE Systems since February 2024. The company develops a range of uncrewed air systems for both military and civilian use.
Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces, stated: “The Royal Navy is leading the way in shaping the future of Hybrid Air Wings, with the impressive progress showcased during Carrier Strike Group 25. Embracing autonomy is pivotal to the way we will operate in the future, and this achievement stands as a powerful example of our armed forces working seamlessly alongside British industry to deliver cutting-edge innovation and capability at sea.”
