A carrier UAV must be designed for carrier loads

How many Predator drones could a Queen Elizabeth- or Ford-class carrier operate?

The existing Predator is the wrong starting point; carrier UAVs need airframes designed for launch, recovery, and deck loads before capacity becomes meaningful.

The answer separates the general value of uncrewed aviation from the suitability of a particular land-based airframe. A Predator could not simply accept a Ford-class catapult launch because the acceleration would risk breaking an aircraft never designed for that load. Arrested recovery would impose another severe structural shock, while even a ski-jump carrier would still require safe deck handling and landing arrangements. A navy that wants carrier UAVs must therefore design the airframe and its control system around maritime launch, recovery, corrosion, and repeated deck cycles.