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Pictured: A drone in flight. A PILOTLESS plane has flown on and off a Royal Navy aircraft carrier for the first time. The W Autonomous Systems (WAS) drone made the trip from the Lizard Peninsula and on to the deck of HMS Prince of Wales off the Cornish coast, delivered supplies, then flew back in a milestone flight which points the way to the future of naval aviation. The Royal Navy joined forces with W Autonomous Systems, a leading-edge British firm which is developing long-range, heavy-lift autonomous drones for defence. The drones incorporate a ground-breaking autopilot system, eliminating the need to be controlled remotely by trained pilots, and are designed to operate in the most challenging environments. It’s a vital step along the way to operating crewless aircraft safely alongside the F-35 Lightning jets and the naval Merlin and Wildcat helicopters that are currently the backbone of the Fleet Air Arm. The goal is to deploy drones with a UK Carrier Strike Group in the future, using them to transfer stores and supplies – such as mail or spare parts – between ships, without the need to launch helicopters. Drones are cheaper to operate, eliminate any potential risk to aircrew – such as in bad weather – and keep the hi-tech Merlins and Wildcats free for operational sorties, such as hunting hostile submarines or surface vessels that are threats to the carrier strike group.