# Royal Navy launches four strike drones from carrier using deck-mounted catapult

_Published Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 7:45 AM EST · Robotics · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Nyan strike drone on the launcher catapult — Primary](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/5e29581/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1619x850+0+115/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2Fce%2F13%2F755c1bbf411fbb8216554dbae20b%2Fa-nyan-drone-awaits-launch-on-hms-queen-elizabeths-flight-deck.jpg&na.image_optimisation=0)

HMS Queen Elizabeth launched four Nyan strike drones using a pneumatic catapult assembled on its flight deck during exercises in the North Atlantic. The trial demonstrated a way to launch uncrewed strike aircraft from a carrier without a built-in catapult.

The drones, developed by BAE Systems subsidiary Callen-Lenz, operated alongside a TEKEVER AR5 uncrewed aircraft providing surveillance, logistics and targeting support. The Royal Navy said all four reached their designated targets.

The deck-mounted system can be fitted to vessels with sufficient space. Nyan is a one-way strike munition, so the trial did not require the carrier to recover the drones.

## Sources

- [New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News](https://newatlas.com/military/strike-drones-historic-launch-british-aircraft-carrier/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/LCKomQmdzB8pdfCia6duUt
Published: 2026-11-15T12:45:48.292Z
Story chronology: 2026-11-15T11:03:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-15T23:01:21.128Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)