Malloy Aeronautics T-150 quadcopters to support UK Carrier Strike Group

During its 2025 deployment to the Indo-Pacific a UK Carrier Strike Group will be supported by a fleet of nine all-electric uncrewed quadcopters produced BAE Systems’ Malloy Aeronautics subsidiary for the first time, BAE Systems announced on 8 April 2025.

The Malloy Aeronautics T-150 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be used to transport supplies such as defence equipment, food and packages from home around the task group throughout its mission.

With a top speed of 97 km/h and payload capacity up to 68 kg, the Malloy T-150 UAVs will be tested as an alternative to the more expensive option of carrying out this work using helicopters, which will then be freed up to focus on their primary role of protecting the task force.

The Royal Navy’s UAV-specialist 700X Naval Air Squadron (NAS) will embark a team of 12 sailors to operate the nine UAVs, initially from three ships in the group to test the capability.

“It’s an exciting moment to see the Royal Navy deploying with our T-150s as an efficient and cost-effective ship-to-ship resupply logistics solution,” Neil Appleton, CEO of Malloy Aeronautics, was quoted as saying in a BAE Systems press release. “We are proud to contribute to this important deployment and look forward to watching these versatile drones prove their worth during operational duties.”

“There is a statistic from previous carrier strike deployments that shows 95% of stores transferred weigh less than 50 kg. They could be anything from parcels from home to a vital engineering part,” explained Lieutenant Matt Parfitt of 700X NAS. “In the past we’d have used a helicopter if a part was urgently needed on another ship. This time we’re going to use a remotely piloted, uncrewed system instead. This is exactly the sort of thing we joined the navy to do, and certainly why we joined this squadron.”

The T-150 is one of a suite of UAVs that Malloy Aeronautics has designed and built for both civil and military customers to make ‘last mile’ logistics more cost-effective and efficient. The company’s range of uncrewed, heavylift quadcopters are capable of lifting payloads from 68 kg to 200 kg over short- to medium-range missions and the company is working on a UAV with a payload of 300 kg.

BAE Systems acquired Malloy Aeronautics in February 2024.