The British Royal Navy will launch Northrop Grumman’s Talon Blue jet drone from a carrier deck featuring a ski-jump ramp similar to the setup on INS Vikrant. A successful trial would validate ski-jump launch capabilities for unmanned combat air vehicles, aiding India's homegrown Abhimanyu program. However, because Indian carriers rely on arrested recovery with wires rather than vertical landings, separate tests will still be required to address landing, storage, and maintenance.
Key points
Ski-jump drone trials conducted by Britain will offer valuable insights into the viabilit…: Ski-jump drone trials conducted by Britain will offer valuable insights into the viability of launching unmanned combat aircraft without catapult systems.
The Indian Navy intends to operate semi-autonomous drones alongside crewed MiG-29K and Ra…: The Indian Navy intends to operate semi-autonomous drones alongside crewed MiG-29K and Rafale-M fighters for strike support, surveillance, and electronic warfare.
Differences in recovery methods mean India must still independently prove arrested wire l…: Differences in recovery methods mean India must still independently prove arrested wire landings, maintenance procedures, and deck handling on its own carriers.
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The Royal Navy wants to see a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) fly from one of its aircraft carriers next year, and the experiment could be useful well beyond Britain. First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins announced aboard HMS Prince of Wales, at the international sea power conference held in Oslo, that Northrop Grumman's Talon Blue, designated YFQ-48A by the US military, is being prepared for a carrier launch. The jet drone flew for the first time only last month.
For India, the interest is obvious, HMS Queen Elizabeth and
INS Vikrant share a basic design feature as neither of the two ships has catapults to launch fighters. Both launch fixed-wing fighters from a bow ski-jump ramp, set at roughly 14° on the Vikrant and 13° on the British carrier. The catapult helps launch aircraft from the deck of these massive ships. While on ships such as the INS Vikrant and HMS Queen Elizabeth, aircraft take off under their own power. The ramp helps jets leave the deck with heavier fuel and weapon loads than a flat deck would allow.…
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