British drone downs attack drones with guided rockets

A modified version of the Malloy Aeronautics T-150 uncrewed air system has intercepted multiple one-way attack drones during an American experiment in Florida, firing laser-guided rockets from a three-pod launcher and engaging several targets in succession without landing or reloading, according to BAE Systems.

The trials ran from 21 to 25 September at Eglin Air Force Base during the United States Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering’s Mission Capabilities Joint Readiness Experimentation exercise. BAE Systems conducted them alongside SURVICE Engineering, its Maryland-based partner, using BAE’s own APKWS laser-guided rockets.

Thomas Lancashire, Head of UAS Business Development at BAE Systems’ FalconWorks, said: “Our customers are facing drone threats right now, so we’ve worked at pace with our partners to move from concept to a proven system, which can engage multiple targets in a single mission.

“Military technology is evolving faster than ever and it’s vital that effective capabilities reach those who protect us as quickly as possible. In today’s environment, the speed at which we deliver equipment can be just as important as the system itself.”

Gregory Thompson, President of SURVICE, said: “Supporting the warfighter has been at the core of SURVICE’s mission since its founding over 45 years ago. Bringing the TRV-150 to the US warfighter and now adding APKWS as a proven, precise, and cost-effective capability to our TRV-150 UAS platform is exactly the type of innovation SURVICE was designed to deliver.”

The aircraft is a heavy-lift electric multirotor built by Malloy Aeronautics at Maidenhead in Berkshire, a company BAE Systems took a stake in during 2019 and acquired outright in 2024. The version flown in Florida, designated TRV-150, was adapted to United States Army requirements by SURVICE Engineering, and the APKWS modification kit was developed and integrated by BAE Systems FalconWorks.

APKWS is a laser guidance kit that converts the seventy millimetre Hydra rocket into a precision weapon, built by BAE Systems in New Hampshire. United States Navy and Air Force fighters used it against Houthi drones over the Red Sea in 2024 and 2025, at a unit cost well below that of an air-to-air missile.

BAE Systems said the September trials build on the first firing of a precision munition from an adapted T-150 in July last year, which was a single shot, and that the launcher used in Florida is a production-ready three-pod system.

The T-150 has already served with Britain’s forces in the logistics role. The Royal Navy cleared the Malloy T-150 for front line use and conducted its first drone supply run between warships, and the type carried stores between ships throughout the Prince of Wales carrier strike group’s eight-month Indo-Pacific deployment last year, which this publication covered when drones launched from the British carrier in the Pacific.

Malloy also builds the larger T-650, developed with Royal Navy and Defence Equipment and Support involvement as a heavy-lift aircraft able to carry loads including torpedoes.

BAE Systems said the team will now look to extend the T-150’s use in this role to the maritime environment. The company noted that the imagery released with the announcement comes from an earlier trial.