UK uses drone to deliver supplies between warships (PHOTO+VIDEO)

September 2, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

The Royal Navy has delivered supplies between warships using a British-built drone for the first time during its 2025 Indo-Pacific deployment.

A Malloy T-150 quadcopter flew from flagship, Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, to destroyer Type 45 HMS Dauntless during the UK Carrier Strike Group deployment. The drone was carrying critical supplies, including spare and repair parts, from ship to ship.

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The quadcopter took off and flew autonomously for just over a mile before HMS Dauntless crews took control to guide it safely onto the ship’s flight deck. According to the Royal Navy, the aim of the trial was to provide a cheap and efficient alternative to using helicopters or boat transfer to make deliveries and free them up to focus on operational tasks.

The drones currently deployed on Operation Highmast – the name of the UK Carrier Strike Group’s eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific – have carried out nearly 150 deck landings and flown more than 20 hours of sorties.

In the latest phase, the Malloy drone was launched as part of a trial by 700X Naval Air Squadron.

“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,” Lieutenant Matt Parfitt, 700X Pioneer Flight Commander, said.

“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,” Captain Colin McGannity, Commander Air Group, UK Carrier Strike Group, added.

“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,” Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces, commented.

The T-150 drone is made by British company Malloy Aeronautics, which has been owned by BAE Systems since February 2024, and produces a variety of uncrewed air systems designed for civilian and military purposes.