Four Nyan drones were launched from HMS Queen Elizabeth during Exercise Neptune Reach B, according to the supplied reports. All four reached their designated targets before being intentionally ditched, with the activity described as the first launch of this type of one-way attack drone from a British aircraft carrier.
The Nyan systems were manufactured by UK-based Callen-Lenz, identified in the reports as a BAE Systems subsidiary. The company’s chief executive, Matt Foster, commented on the significance of operating the system from the carrier, while Royal Navy officer David Burton also addressed the importance of the trials, according to the supplied coverage.
A separate carrier activity involved Tekever’s AR5 fixed-wing UAV during Heavy Lift Challenge 3. The aircraft landed on and launched from HMS Queen Elizabeth. The AR5 was described as a platform for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, as well as logistics and other operational missions.
Infodefensa described the AR5 carrier operation as the first of its kind for the Royal Navy or a British aircraft carrier. The same publication places the trials in the North Atlantic in mid-October 2026. The exact dates are not supplied, and the available accounts distinguish between the exercises associated with the Nyan and AR5 activities.
Infodefensa linked the trials to the Royal Navy’s hybrid carrier air-wing concept, combining crewed aircraft such as the F-35B with uncrewed platforms. The Aviationist likewise described the activity as progress toward a hybrid navy. Taken together, the reported tests cover both one-way attack systems and aircraft intended for surveillance and logistical support, although the sources do not specify the precise target types or locations beyond the North Atlantic operating area.