A catapult launch is one of the most violent things in aviation: zero to flying speed in two seconds, a punch that rattles teeth and bends steel. The General Atomics Mojave skips it entirely. This is a drone big enough to carry missiles — and it can lumber off the deck of a warship from a standing start, no catapult, no arrestor wire, no ski-jump.
That party trick, first shown off on a Royal Navy carrier in 2023, is quietly one of the more disruptive ideas in modern naval aviation. If a capable armed drone can fly from any flat deck, then you no longer need a billion-dollar supercarrier to put unmanned airpower out to sea.
QUICK FACTS
| Aircraft | General Atomics Mojave — a short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) drone |
| Lineage | Built on the MQ-1C Gray Eagle / MQ-9 Reaper family |
| The trick | A big high-lift wing lets it fly off a deck with no catapult or arrestor wire |
| Carrier first | Operated from HMS Prince of Wales, November 2023 |
| Also flew from | South Korea’s ROKS Dokdo, November 2024 |
| 2026 focus | New roles — drone-hunting and air-defence suppression |
No catapult, no problem
On 15 November 2023, a single Mojave embarked aboard HMS Prince of Wales and took off from an improvised angle across the deck — not the centreline, and without the carrier’s ski-jump. It flew a series of circuits and approaches, then landed back on the deck unarrested, watched by officers from the US, Spain, Italy, Australia and Japan. A year later it repeated the feat from South Korea’s assault ship ROKS Dokdo.
The secret is the wing. Where most drones of its size need a proper runway, the Mojave carries an oversized high-lift wing that lets it claw into the air in a remarkably short distance — short enough to fit on a deck, or a stretch of damaged road, or a rough forward strip.
Reaper genes, new muscles
Under the skin, the Mojave is closely related to the Gray Eagle and Reaper drones that have flown tens of thousands of combat hours. But it is beefed up: more hardpoints, a heavier payload, the ability to haul Hellfire missiles and sensors over long endurance. It is the Reaper bloodline, repackaged for places a Reaper could never go.
What it is becoming
Through 2026, General Atomics has been pushing the Mojave into new jobs: hunting other drones and suppressing enemy air defences — two of the hottest problems in modern air war. Pair those roles with its ability to fly off ships and ruined airfields, and the picture comes into focus: cheap, sea-capable, unmanned strike that does not depend on a catapult, a runway, or a carrier the size of a city.
The Mojave is not the flashiest aircraft in the sky. But the quiet idea it represents — that you can take serious airpower to sea on almost any flat deck — may end up being one of the more consequential.
Sources: General Atomics; Naval News; The War Zone; UK Royal Navy.
Related Questions
What is the General Atomics Mojave?
The Mojave is a short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) drone built by General Atomics, derived from the MQ-1C Gray Eagle and MQ-9 Reaper. Its oversized high-lift wing lets it get airborne from very short, rough strips — and from the deck of a ship — while still carrying a heavy weapons and sensor load.
Can a drone take off from an aircraft carrier without a catapult?
Yes. The Mojave demonstrated exactly that, taking off from and landing on the deck of HMS Prince of Wales in November 2023 without using a catapult, arrestor wire or the ship’s ski-jump. Its STOL design means it needs only a short stretch of deck, turning flat-topped ships into potential drone carriers.
When did the Mojave fly from an aircraft carrier?
The Mojave first operated from an aircraft carrier on 15 November 2023, aboard the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales during a deployment to the United States. A year later, in November 2024, it made a ship-to-shore flight from South Korea’s ROKS Dokdo amphibious assault ship.
What is the Mojave drone armed with?
The Mojave is designed to carry a substantial weapons load across multiple hardpoints, including Hellfire missiles and other precision munitions, alongside surveillance sensors. Its payload and endurance are a major step up from earlier armed drones of its class.
How is the Mojave different from the MQ-9 Reaper?
The Mojave shares the Reaper family’s fuselage and systems but adds a much larger, high-lift wing and a beefed-up structure optimised for short, rough-field and shipboard operations. Where the Reaper needs a proper runway, the Mojave is built to operate from places a conventional drone never could.
What new roles is the Mojave being developed for?
In 2026, General Atomics has been expanding the Mojave into new missions, including hunting other drones and suppressing enemy air defences. Combined with its ability to operate from ships and rough strips, that points toward a future of sea-based, unmanned strike and persistent surveillance without a supercarrier.
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