South Korean Navy Tests Mojave Drone Takeoff from Amphibious Assault Ship

The South Korean (ROK) Navy yesterday tested the takeoff of the General Atomics "Mojave" drone from the ROKS Dokdo, exploring the potential to convert the amphibious assault ship into a drone carrier.

This was the second takeoff of the Mojave from a flight deck, after a test on the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales last year, and the first instance of launching a fixed-wing drone from a large vessel, as the ROK Navy had previously only operated VTOL UAVs.

The Mojave, chosen for its ability to take off from the Dokdo’s 150-meter flight deck, was loaded onto the ship on November 4 and underwent a week of testing. With a wingspan of 16 meters and a length of 9 meters, the Mojave can reach altitudes of 10,000 feet and speeds up to 140 knots (259 km/h).

It has a 1.5-ton payload capacity, including 16 Hellfire missiles, and can fly for over 20 hours in surveillance mode or 9 hours when armed. However, the drone is still in prototype, with full development expected to take 3 to 5 more years.

During the test, the Mojave took off, conducted two simulated landings along the ship’s port side, and then flew to the Naval Air Command in Pohang for a runway landing.

Although the Dokdo’s 199-meter flight deck is long enough for landing, its width limits landing capabilities, so the test focused on simulations.

This test is part of the Navy’s efforts to develop a manned-unmanned combat system, improving operational response times by deploying drones directly from ships.