File:Mojave UAV HMS Prince of Wales.jpg

English: Image of the Mojave unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), seen here on the flight deck of HMS Prince of Wales.On 15th November 2023, Codenamed“Mojave”, the specially modified remotely piloted aircraft successfully launched from, and then safely landed back onto, the deck of HMS PRINCE OF WALES in a unique trial off the East Coast of the United States of America. A European first, this trial further unlocks the potential of the UK’sQueen Elizabeth-Class aircraft carriers – designed and principally built around the F-35B Lightning stealth fighter – by demonstrating how modern uncrewed air systems can operate alongside 5th generation crewed aircraft.After months of planning, successful trials of the largest uncrewed aircraft to ever launch from an aircraft carrier outside of the United States have paved the way for the next generation of air power to be delivered from the Royal Navy’s two supercarriers.The Mojave trial marks the end of a successful series of experiments and tests with uncrewed aircraft to and from our aircraft carriers this autumn, and follows on from the successful demonstration in September when a small W Autonomous Systems logistics supply aircraft delivered supplies to HMS PRINCE OF WALES in the English Channel.The Mojave is an adaptation of the MQ1C Grey Eagle aircraft that has been developed for short take-off and landing (STOL), originally to prove STOL operations were capable at unprepared landing sits. With a 17m wingspan, the UAS is 6m wider than an F-35B Lightning steal fighter, and weighs 1.5 tonnes in its fully loaded configuration. The medium altitude, long endurance, remotely piloted aircraft can provided long-range surveillance and strike capability over areas covering many thousands of miles.