For the first time, the British Navy transferred cargo from ship to ship on the fly — and it did it by drone

Not a helicopter or a boat — the Malloy T-150 took matters into its own hands

For the first time, the British Royal Navy has successfully delivered cargo from one ship to another using a drone. The operation took place in Portsmouth: the drone took off from the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and landed on the destroyer HMS Dauntless, carrying a small but symbolic cargo. It was not just a test, it was the beginning of a new practice that could change logistics at sea.

And all this — without a helicopter, without a boat, without unnecessary risk.

How a drone carried cargo over water between ships

The device used in the operation is Malloy T-150, an octovertolet from the British company Malloy Aeronautics from Maidenhead. It has eight propellers, is stable in the air and is capable of carrying up to 60 kg. In this case, the cargo was much lighter, but it's not about weight, but about the principle: the drone can launch from the deck, fly over the water, land accurately on another ship and deliver the package.

Such a flight is especially difficult due to the pitching, wind and limited space on the deck. But the T-150 did it, with precise navigation and automation.

Why would the navy need such a delivery

Imagine: a ship at sea, it urgently needs a tool, medicines or a replacement part. Previously, either a helicopter or a boat was sent for this purpose — both options are expensive, require a crew and distract from combat missions.

Now you can launch the drone. It's faster, cheaper, and doesn't risk people's lives. This is especially important when ships cannot get close, for example, in a combat situation or in bad weather.

Economy and focus on combat missions

Helicopters are powerful machines, but using them to deliver a bottle of medicine is like firing a cannon at sparrows. The drone solves the same problem with minimal effort. And most importantly, it frees up helicopters and boats for what they are needed for: reconnaissance, evacuation, and anti—submarine warfare.

The Royal Navy hopes that such drones will soon become commonplace, like radio communications or GPS.

Sources

1. FlightGlobal — first successful Malloy T-150 drone resupply between Royal Navy ships
2. Maritime Executive — overview of the ship-to-ship drone delivery operation
3. Forces News — maiden flight between HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Dauntless, future Royal Navy plans
4. Naval Technology — significance of the trial and future drone logistics potential
5. BBC News — official release and video of the Malloy T-150 in service

Aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales arrives in Tokyo on a mission to strengthen ties in Asia

HMS Prince of Wales leads the British aircraft carrier group

The flagship of the Royal Navy of Great Britain, the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in the port of Tokyo, leading the British aircraft carrier Strike Group (CSG). This visit marks one of the most significant British diplomatic and military presences in East Asia in recent times and highlights London's growing focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

The aircraft carrier, escorted by escort ships and supported by F-35B aircraft, demonstrates the UK's ability to project power and participate in international operations on a global level.

Tokyo visit: from public tours to Security Summit

The Tokyo stop includes a wide range of activities. Guided tours aboard the aircraft carrier are organized for the public — a rare opportunity to see the UK's largest ship building from the inside. In parallel, meetings are being held with senior representatives of the Japanese government, the Ministry of Defense and military leaders.

Special attention is paid to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of security and technology, which is in line with the Global Britain strategy.

Pacific Future Forum as a dialogue center

The central event of the visit will be the Pacific Future Forum, an international summit bringing together experts, politicians and business representatives. The Forum is focused on three key areas:

• Regional security and stability
• Development of advanced technologies, including cybersecurity and AI
• Economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region

The event aims to strengthen partnerships between the UK, Japan and other countries in the region.

The strategic importance of the UK's presence in the region

This visit is part of the UK's long—term strategy to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific region. It demonstrates London's willingness to support rules, freedom of navigation and collective security in the face of growing geopolitical tensions.

Close ties with Japan, one of the UK's key strategic partners in Asia, play an important role in building a sustainable alliance based on shared values and interests.

F-35Bs refueled and took off from HMS Prince of Wales for the first time before the Talisman Sabre exercises

In 2025, an important event took place within the framework of international military cooperation: F-35B stealth fighters of the United States Marine Corps successfully completed refueling and takeoff operations from the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. This was part of his large—scale flagship campaign conducted as part of Operation High Mast, the key aircraft carrier deployment of the British Royal Navy this year.

These operations took place on the eve of one of the largest multinational exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, Talisman Sabre, which underlines the strategic importance of this event. The participation of the F-35B in joint operations with the British flagship demonstrates the high degree of interoperability of the allied forces and the strengthening of their presence in a critically important region.

The British Aircraft Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by HMS Prince of Wales, embarked on an eight-month mission that will take place from the Mediterranean Sea, through the Indian Ocean, and end off the Pacific coast. Such a deeply symbolic and tactically significant deployment is aimed at strengthening defensive ties, demonstrating strength and increasing combat readiness in the face of growing geopolitical challenges.

The participation of American fifth-generation fighters in logistical and combat operations with the British aircraft carrier also serves as a prime example of transatlantic partnership and technological synchronization. The joint actions of the F-35B and HMS Prince of Wales have shown the effectiveness of integrating the advanced systems and capabilities of the two countries into a single combat structure.

British F-35Bs will test the deck of the Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga during joint exercises

 

British F-35B carrier—based fighters may soon land and take off from one of Japan's de facto aircraft carriers, JS Kaga, as members of the British aircraft carrier strike group are scheduled to arrive in Japanese waters in August as part of the final phase of a multi-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. It is expected that part of the joint activities will be the landing and take-off of F-35B fighters from the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales onto the deck of the Japanese JS Kaga, as the fleets of the partner countries seek to increase interoperability and strengthen military cooperation.

Recall that JS Kaga has already been upgraded to operate F-35B aircraft, and in October 2024, an American F-35B successfully landed on its deck during sea trials. In turn, the British F-35B, based on HMS Prince of Wales, has a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capability, which makes them compatible with aircraft carriers of this type. 

The planned cooperation between the UK and Japan could be an important step in developing a bilateral military partnership and deepening the presence of allied forces in the Indo-Pacific region. Starting from 2029-2030, the full-fledged start of F-35B operations from Japanese aircraft carriers is also expected.

French and British carrier groups change to the Mediterranean

 

Flagship aircraft carrier CSG 25 HMS Prince of Wales

After a 105-day deployment east of Suez, the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91), accompanied by the Horizon-class frigate FS Forbin (D620), the FREMM Provence (D652) and Alsace (D656) class frigates and the tanker Jacques Chevallier (A725) passed north through the Suez 

Canal on April 7. The Clemencau 25 Carrier Strike Group (CSG) now appears to be heading home to Toulon, and it likely includes a nuclear-powered attack submarine, the type of which has not been identified.

While the French are returning home, the British CSG 25 is preparing to sail from Portsmouth for an eight-month round trip to the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, including transit through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. CSG 25 flagship HMS Prince of Wales (R09) has completed the Tamber Shield exercise in the North Sea, a 20-day deployment preparation, and has loaded from an ammunition depot in Scotland. A detailed deployment schedule has not been released, but CSG is scheduled for April 22.

Based on a similar deployment to the Pacific Ocean of its sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) in 2021, the Prince of Wales CSG is likely to pass through the Red Sea in May and return in November. It is unclear whether this plan was coordinated with the United States, for which the simultaneous maintenance of two aircraft carriers in the CENTCOM zone puts a strain on resources.

The Royal Navy uses drones for supply in the Indo-Pacific region

 For the first time, the Royal Navy will deploy a fleet of drones to carry out vital ship-to-ship resupply missions during the upcoming deployment of the British Aircraft Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to the Indo-Pacific region.

According to updated Royal Navy news, nine Malloy T-150 octover helicopters will join the HMS Prince of Wales Air group later this month and will carry out missions alongside F-35B aircraft and naval helicopters to transport food, mail and engineering parts throughout the task force.

The goal is to, to free the helicopters from the routine work of supply, freeing them for their main combat and defensive tasks. Drone operations will be conducted by a 12-person team from 700X Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Culdrose.