An early drone carrier concept was developed in the UK. The UXV Combatant was unveiled by BVT Surface Fleet at DSEI in 2007. This was a radical 8,000-tonne vessel that explored how future navies might integrate uncrewed technologies into front-line combat operations.
There are now at least three navies that have acquired or are developing ‘flat-top’ carriers designed specifically to carry uncrewed air systems. Here we look at some of these projects and the implications of this trend.
