Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:29:47-2:30:30

Where drones might fit on a Queen Elizabeth-class deck

A question about electric launch equipment and drones leads to the spare deck area beside the ski jump and possible uncrewed wingmen for F-35Bs.

Carrier Air GroupsCarrier Flight DecksF-35BQueen Elizabeth Class Aircraft CarriersUncrewed Aircraft
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Question

Could Queen Elizabeth-class carriers use the deck beside the ski jump or electric launch equipment for drones?

Short answer

The area beside the ski jump could support drone launches and uncrewed F-35 wingmen, although this remains a speculative use rather than a finalized system.

Notes

The discussion considers sending Queen Elizabeth-class carriers to sea with uncrewed aircraft supporting their F-35Bs. The area beside the ski jump already serves as deck parking, especially for aircraft needing maintenance attention, and could also be used to launch drones. This identifies a plausible operating area rather than confirming a settled catapult installation or drone type. An existing STOVL deck might therefore absorb a new aviation role without converting the whole ship to conventional carrier operations.