British aircraft carrier to trial "Project Mojave" drones PHOTO

The Royal Navy has announced its intention to award a contract to General Atomics to trial ‘Project Mojave’ drones onboard a British aircraft carrier.

The contract, which has a non-qualifying single-source status, is worth up to £1,500,000 (ex VAT) and is projected to span a period of seven months, UK Defense Journal reports.

Under the ambitious Project Mojave, General Atomics is set to undertake trials and experiments aimed at showcasing the threshold capabilities of a Short Take off and Landing Uncrewed Air Vehicle aircraft.

The contract notice reads: “The Royal Navy, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a Single Source Non-Qualifying Defence Contract valued at up to £1,500,000 (ex VAT) with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Limited (“the Contractor”) for a period of [7] months for the delivery of work to undertake trials/experiments in order to demonstrate a threshold capability for a Short Take off and Landing Uncrewed Air Vehicle (UAV).”

This trial forms part of the UK’s move to integrate cutting-edge drone technology within its armed forces, potentially revolutionising its military operations.

As we reported last year, the possibility of this initiative was on the horizon. General Atomics had demonstrated a concept for a carrier-capable MQ-9B drone, a type already being integrated into service with the Royal Air Force.

The manufacturer previously announced plans to develop a short takeoff and landing (STOL) capable MQ-9B aircraft, a model which includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian variants.

The STOL capability, initially tested on a modified Gray Eagle Extended Range platform in 2021, is now being developed on the MQ-9B. This model has already been chosen by the Royal Air Force, the Belgium Ministry of Defence, and the Japanese Coast Guard.

The MQ-9B STOL configuration involves an optional wing and tail kit that can be installed in less than a day, allowing operators to modify the aircraft in a hangar or on a flight line.

This proof-of-concept trial will utilise existing technology and services provided by General Atomics. By addressing a range of capability problem sets, the initiative is set to determine the future scope of UAV integration and support.

C. Mark Brinkley, spokesman for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc, tweeted:

“There’s a lot of speculation today about the possibility of our Mojave STOL aircraft launching from a carrier in the near future. From the moment we announced our Mojave concept, operating from ships was always on the table. But let’s not all rush up to the flight deck just yet.

We have already demonstrated Mojave’s short take-off and landing capability in less than 300 feet. That was under optimal conditions on the ground, so add some feet for fuel, weapons and payloads. Regardless, our engineers know that a tactically-relevant Mojave can take off from a runway shorter than the decks of many carriers or amphibious ships used around the world. Moving from a ground-based STOL demo to a ship-based STOL demo has always been a priority for the Mojave project, and we’ve been discussing that with fleets worldwide.

We have also discussed modifying the MQ-9B with a STOL conversion kit that replicates many of the attributes of our Mojave demonstrator, and we’ve shared those ideas publicly at trade shows and on social media. We have conducted feasibility studies for both platforms, and continued our experimentation. We have big plans, but plans take time to execute. Mojave is a remarkable aircraft, and I’m impressed by it every time I see it fly. Our team is working hard on it. But whether it flies from a ship in the near future still remains to be seen. Fingers crossed.”