Particle.news
Download on the App Store
7 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Royal Navy Launches Nyan Strike Drone from Ship at Sea

The test advances the UK’s Hybrid Navy plans by proving a shipborne launch of an expendable strike drone and triggering analysis for wider fleet use.

The Royal Navy has successfully launched a strike-capable drone from a ship at sea, marking a significant step forward in the UK’s drive to create a hybrid naval force to defend against evolving threats. (Image credit: Crown Copyright 2026)
Image
Image
British naval drone program advances with high-speed sea trials.

Overview

  • The Royal Navy fired a Callen-Lenz Nyan one-way effector from the experimentation vessel XV Patrick Blackett during trials in early June to test a deck-mounted launcher while the ship was underway.
  • The Nyan is a small, 2.9-metre wingspan expendable strike drone powered by a microturbine and was launched from a Threod Cata pneumatic rail that set a pre-programmed flight to a designated target area.
  • Personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force ran the trial under Project Vantage and Exercise Neptune Reach to accelerate maritime integration of one-way effectors.
  • Callen-Lenz has an MoD contract and says it has produced more than 1,000 Nyan units, but the services stress the activity is experimental and test data are now being analysed by Royal Navy and RAF teams.
  • The trial is intended to show that many warships can host low-cost, high-volume strike drones to boost reach and tempo, a capability backed by the Defence Investment Plan and likely to lead to further trials including on HMS Queen Elizabeth.