Royal Navy launches strike-capable drone from shipborne pneumatic catapult

The Royal Navy successfully launched a strike-capable drone from a vessel underway off the south coast of England on July 3, marking the first at-sea catapult launch of the Nyan One-Way Effector. The test, part of Exercise Neptune Reach under Project Vantage, used the XV Patrick Blackett and a railed pneumatic catapult system rather than rocket-assisted launch. The Nyan drone, built by Callen-Lenz (a BAE Systems FalconWorks subsidiary), costs about £100,000 (US$132,000) per unit, has a 9.5-foot wingspan, a turbojet engine with a shielded exhaust for reduced signature, a launch velocity of 107 knots, and a range exceeding 81 nautical miles. The pneumatic catapult provides instantaneous thrust while eliminating rocket logistics, thermal signatures, and safety hazards, and can be mounted on small craft with minimal crew. The trial merged Royal Navy ship operations, British Army launch procedures, and Royal Air Force aircraft functions as part of the UK's £5-billion (US$6.7-billion) strategy to develop hybrid armed forces where drones act as force multipliers. Lieutenant Commander David Burton, Maritime One Way Effectors capability sponsor, said the trial advances Maritime One-Way Effectors toward integration into the Hybrid Navy to expand reach, increase tempo, and enhance lethality.