Military UAS
Discover cutting-edge solutions from 11 leading global suppliers
The Royal Navy and British Army have conducted the first joint land and sea trials of a domestically produced One-Way Effector (OWE) Uncrewed Air System (UAS) designed for precision strike operations.
The Nyan OWE, designed and built by BAE Systems’ entity Callen-Lenz, is a small uncrewed aircraft featuring a 2.9-metre wingspan. The platform represents part of BAE Systems’ expanding portfolio of uncrewed air systems produced through its FalconWorks advanced research and technology hub, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in autonomous systems to provide affordable combat mass alongside frontline platforms.
During the recent maritime trials, the aircraft was launched from the Navy’s experimentation ship XV Patrick Blackett off the south coast of England. The exercise, named Neptune Reach, brought the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force together under Project Vantage, a specialized programme focused on accelerating the test and evaluation of maritime attack drones. To evaluate how the system operates from a moving naval platform, a launcher system capable of launching the drones at speeds of up to 55 metres a second was fitted directly to the ship’s deck.
This naval evaluation follows prior testing in May, where the British Army put the system through its paces during Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia as part of the UK’s deep fire capability in support of NATO allies.
“Britain is serious about the transition to a Hybrid Navy with new, powerful drones at the heart of the Royal Navy. By bringing together Army and Navy expertise to field strike drones from a ship at sea, we are accelerating the capabilities our forces need to stay ahead of our adversaries,” commented Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry.
Matt Foster, CEO of BAE Systems’ Callen-Lenz, added, “Nyan is already operationally proven on land, with more than 1,000 units produced. Now it has successfully demonstrated its ability to add real value in a maritime environment too. These trials reflect strong collaboration across the services and industry, highlighting the pace at which we can deliver innovation to advance the UK’s integrated, multi-domain defence capability.”
The Royal Navy capability team and the Air and Space Warfare Centre are currently analysing the trial results, with potential future evaluations planned aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. The long-term goal under Project Vantage is to seamlessly integrate these capabilities into a Hybrid Navy fleet.
“This trial makes a significant step forward in delivering Maritime One-Way Effectors at pace. Under Project Vantage we are planning to integrate these capabilities into the Hybrid Navy, combining crewed platforms with uncrewed systems to expand reach, increase tempo and enhance lethality. Working closely with our army colleagues, this activity demonstrates how we are accelerating Atlantic Strike concepts into practical, deployable capabilities of the fleet,” said Lieutenant Commander David Burton, Maritime One Way Effectors Capability Sponsor, Royal Navy.
