The UK is considering the use of MQ-9 drones to fulfil the Royal Navy’s carrier-borne airborne early warning (AEW) capability once the existing Crowsnest system retires from service, due to occur in 2029.
Currently fitted the Royal Navy Merlin Mk2 helicopters, the Crowsnest system comprises an updated version of a Thales Searchwater radar and Cerberus mission system, which are deployed as role fit kits.
In 2017, Lockheed Martin was awarded a £269m ($359.9m) contract to deliver the Royal Navy’s Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) programme.
When fitted, the Crowsnest system allows AEW for the UK’s two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, a critical capability in ensuring the security of the vessels and attached escort group.
Currently, the Merlin-based Crowsnest will leave service in the next four years, with no replacement.
However, a 19 May statement by Maria Eagle, UK Defence Procurement Minister, revealed that thought was being given to utilising the MQ-9 drone platform to provide AEW from UK carriers.
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By GlobalData“The MQ-9 is being considered as a candidate for the RN’s requirement for carrier strike airborne early warning following the planned withdrawal of the Crowsnest airborne early warning system when it reaches the end of its service life,” Eagle stated.
Eagle added that the Royal Navy has established that the General Atomics MQ-9 can be modified to operate from the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.
The UK has operated the MQ-9 series platform for a number of years, recently beginning to induct the new MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones into Royal Air Force service. The MQ-9B is also able to be acquired in the SeaGuardian configuration to fulfil the maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance role.
Could the UK operate MQ-9s from its aircraft carriers?
With a wingspan of 79ft (24 metres), the MQ-9 SkyGuardian can be accommodated onboard either of the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, which have a flight deck width of 230ft. The MQ-9B wingspan is roughly double that of the F-35B short take off, vertical landing (STOVL) fighters embarked on the carriers.
The MQ-9s could also be accommodated on the UK carriers’ two hangar lifts, just, in order to permit entry and egress from the flight deck.
However, the real nub of the question, ‘could the UK operate MQ-9s from Queen Elizabeth carriers’, centres on the ability of the drone to take off and land on a platform not necessarily intended for non-vertical landing.
All of the UK’s current carrier-embarked aviation land vertically, by fact of being a helicopter or the specially adapted B variant of the F-35.
Testing has been done on the F-35s to perform a technique called Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL), which sees the fighters approach the carrier stern at an indicated speed of about 57kt and 30-degree angle, allowing the lift fan and vectored thrust to control the descent.
Only HMS Prince of Wales has the necessary landing light layout to accommodate a SRVL operation, although it could be retrofitted onto HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Although operated from long airstrips, the MQ-9 can perform a short take off and landing (STOL) on runways of less than 1,000ft, potentially within the length of the Queen Elizabeth class’ flight deck of 920ft. This could be further improved by manoeuvring the aircraft carrier to face into the wind, providing greater lift on take-off and air resistance when landing.
However, generating enough thrust on take-off, even with a light configured MQ-9, could be a challenge. The F-35B can produce 29,000 of shaft horsepower for take-off, compared to 900 shaft horsepower from a MQ-9 Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine.
One factor to consider would be the thrust to weight ratio, with the MQ-9 considerably lighter than the bulky F-35B.
UK carrier CATOBAR out of the question?
With both the UK’s F-35Bs and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers not due to leave service until 2069, the requirement to convert the carriers to accommodate a more traditional catapult assisting take-off, brake assisting recovery (CATOBAR) configuration is absent.
This is even more apparent with Eagle’s recent comments on modifying the MQ-9 to operate from the carrier, rather than the other way around, not withstanding the drone’s ability to handle the violent forces of a CATOBAR operation.
Given the lack of a credible alterative and the intention to allow Crowsnest to retire in 2029, the UK is going to have to make a decision in the near-term to find a platform that can perform AEW for Carrier Strike Group operations.
The MQ-9, it seems, could be capable.
