An unmanned aircraft successfully lands aboard a Royal Navy carrier at sea, setting a new record.

A ?il?tl?ss ?l?n? h?s ?l?wn ?n ?n? ??? ? R???l N?v? ?i?c???t c???i?? ??? th? ?i?st tіm?. Th? W A?t?n?m??s S?st?ms (WAS) ???n? ?l?w ???m th? Liz??? P?nins?l? ?n? ?n t? th? ??ck ?? HMS P?inc? ?? W?l?s ??? th? C??nish c??st, ??liv???? s???li?s, th?n ?l?w ??ck in ? mil?st?n? ?li?ht which ??ints th? w?? t? th? ??t??? ?? n?v?l ?vi?ti?n. It’s ? vit?l st?? ?l?n? th? w?? t? ?????tin? c??wl?ss ?i?c???t s???l? ?l?n?si?? F-35 Li?htnin? j?ts ?n? n?v?l M??lin ?n? Wil?c?t h?lic??t??s which ??? c????ntl? th? ??ck??n? ?? th? Fl??t Ai? A?m. Th? ???l is t? ???l?? ???n?s with ? UK C???i?? St?ik? G???? in th? ??t???, ?sin? th?m t? t??ns??? st???s ?n? s???li?s – s?ch ?s m?il ?? s???? ???ts – ??tw??n shi?s, with??t th? n??? t? l??nch h?lic??t??s.

C??t?in Rich??? H?witt, C?mm?n?in? O??ic?? HMS P?inc? ?? W?l?s s?i?: “HMS P?inc? ?? W?l?s is ? ?i?th-??n???ti?n ?i?c???t c???i?? ?n? ?????tin? ??t?n?m??s ???n?s lik? this will ??c?m? th? n??m ?c??ss ??t??? R???l N?v? C???i?? St?ik? G????s in ??? 50-???? li??s??n.”

Li??t?n?nt Ash L??t?s, l???in? th? t?i?ls ??? th? R???l N?v? ?n ????? HMS P?inc? ?? W?l?s ?????:“T????’s ??m?nst??ti?n is th? c?lmin?ti?n ?? 18 m?nths ?? h??? w??k ???m ??z?ns ?? ????l? ?c??ss th? R???l N?v? ?n? W A?t?n?m??s S?st?ms. C???i?? ?vi?ti?n is ?m?n?st th? m?st ?i??ic?lt ?s??cts ?? n?v?l w?????? ?n? this s?cc?ss is t?st?m?nt t? th?i? ?????ts.”

St??h?n W?i?ht, ?x?c?tiv? ch?i?m?n ?n? ???n??? ?? W A?t?n?m??s S?st?ms, s?i?: “This l?n?in? ??m?nst??t?s th? ??ilit? ?? ??? ??t?n?m??s ???n?. W? ??? h???l? ????? t? ??liv?? this ????n?-????kin? t?i?l ??? th? R???l N?v? ?n? sh?wc?s? th? ??t??? ?? ?vi?ti?n.”

D??n?s ??? ch????? t? ?????t?, ?limin?t? ?n? ??t?nti?l ?isk t? ?i?c??w – s?ch ?s in ??? w??th?? – ?n? k??? th? hi-t?ch M??lins ?n? Wil?c?ts ???? ??? ?????ti?n?l s??ti?s, s?ch ?s h?ntin? h?stil? s??m??in?s ?? s????c? v?ss?ls which ??? th???ts t? th? c???i?? st?ik? ?????. HMS P?inc? ?? W?l?s h?s ?x???im?nt?? with ???n? t?chn?l??? ?????? – n?t??l? sm?ll ????c??t??s ?n? B?nsh?? t????ts (sm?ll j?ts which ??? l??nch?? ?? c?t???lt ?n? ????ch?t?s ??wn t? l?n? wh?n th? missi?n is c?m?l?t?). B?t th? t?i?ls ??? th? Liz??? ??? in ? ?i?????nt l?????, inv?lvin? ? m?ch l????? (t?n-m?t?? wіп?s??n), m??? c????l? ?il?tl?ss ?i?c???t. Th? R???l N?v? j?in?? ???c?s with S??th?m?t?n-??s?? W A?t?n?m??s S?st?ms, ? l???in?-???? B?itish ?i?m which is ??v?l??in? l?n?-??n??, h??v?-li?t ??t?n?m??s ???n?s ??? ????nc?.

Th? ???n?s inc??????t? ? ????n?-????kin? ??t??il?t s?st?m, ?limin?tin? th? n??? t? ?? c?nt??ll?? ??m?t?l? ?? t??in?? ?il?ts, ?n? ??? ??si?n?? t? ?????t? in th? m?st ch?ll?n?in? ?nvi??nm?nts. Its HCMC twin-?n?in? li?ht ?ll?? twin ???m ?i?c???t is c????l? ?? c????in? ? ???l??? ?? 100k? ?? t? 1,000 kil?m?t??s (620 mil?s). C??ci?ll? it c?n l?n? ?n ?n?v?n ????n? ?n? n???s ? ??nw?? j?st 150 m?t??s l?n? – ? littl? ?v?? h?l? th? l?n?th ?? th? ?li?ht ??cks ?n th? UK’s Q???n Eliz???th-cl?ss ?i?c???t c???i??s – t? l?n? ?? t?k? ???. A?t?? ?xt?nsiv? ???????ti?ns ?sh??? ?? th? c?m?in?? RN ?n? WAS t?i?ls t??m, ?n? ?tt?inin? ?n???s?m?nts ?n? ??th??is?ti?ns ???m th? Civil Avi?ti?n A?th??it?, th? HCMC ???n? t??k ??? ???m P????nn?ck, th? s?t?llit? ?i??i?l? ?? RNAS C?l???s?, ?n? ??t?? ? ?li?ht ?? ????t 20 min?t?s, t??ch?? ??wn s???l? ?n th? HMS P?inc? ?? W?l?s’ ??ck. Onc? its s?m??lic ???l??? ?? n?v?l m?m????ili? w?s ??m?v?? ?? c??w, th? ?i?c???t w?s t??n?? ????n? ?n? it w?s ??-l??nch?? ??ck t? P????nn?ck. HMS P?inc? ?? W?l?s will ?? ?????tin? ??? th? E?st??n S??????? ?? th? USA ?ntil Ch?istm?s ?s sh? c?n??cts ?x???im?nts with F-35 Li?htnin? st??lth ?i?ht??s, MV-Os???? tilt-??t??s, ?n? th? M?j?v? ???n?.