The Royal Navy used HMS Argus with Queen Bee target aircraft in 1939, and the terminology around the Queen Bee helped popularize the word 'drone.' These aircraft supported anti-aircraft training and were close to being weaponized, though contemporary radio control was considered too vulnerable to jamming. Modern uncrewed aviation is therefore an acceleration of a much older line of experimentation.
Notable Point · 1:56:40-1:58:58
HMS Argus and the older history of drone carriers
Claims for the first drone carrier overlook HMS Argus's pre-war operation of Queen Bee radio-controlled target aircraft.