LONDON — The British Army has fielded the Nyan jet-powered one-way attack drone alongside its modernized M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) fleet, expanding the Royal Artillery’s deep-fires options under the Land Deep Fires Programme (LDFP). Developed by Callen-Lenz, a BAE Systems company, the Nyan autonomous drone provides artillery formations with an attritable, long-range effector capable of penetrating contested air defense networks out to distances exceeding 250 kilometers.
Assigned to 26 Regiment Royal Artillery and validated during NATO Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia, the integration pairs heavy rocket artillery with low-cost autonomous UAVs. Under this operational doctrine, high-end guided munitions—such as GMLRS, Extended Range GMLRS (ER-GMLRS), and the incoming Precision Strike Missile (PrSM)—deliver high-speed, high-explosive kinetic strikes against high-value hardened targets, while Nyan drones provide mass, alternative vector profiles, and suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD/EW) in GNSS-denied environments.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: CALLEN-LENZ / BAE SYSTEMS NYAN ONE-WAY EFFECTOR
* Platform Classification: Jet-Powered Attritable One-Way Attack Drone / Deep-Strike Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
* Developer / Manufacturer: Callen-Lenz (a BAE Systems company / FalconWorks portfolio)
* Wingspan & Mass: 2.9-meter wingspan; Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) >75 kg
* Payload Capacity: <20 kg payload bay (modular integration for kinetic warheads, electronic warfare, or multi-spectral sensor decoys)
* Propulsion & Performance:
* Powerplant: Single gas-turbine jet engine
* Cruise Speed: 220 km/h (~120 knots)
* Operational Engagement Range: Exceeds 250 km (135+ nautical miles)
* Navigation & Survivability: Engineered for low radar cross-section (RCS) and autonomous navigation in GNSS-denied/jammed airspace
* Launch Architecture: Pneumatic catapult launcher deployable from unprepared austere ground sites and naval platforms
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: M270A2 MULTIPLE LAUNCH ROCKET SYSTEM (MLRS)
* Platform Classification: Armored, Self-Propelled Multiple Launch Rocket System / Deep Precision Fires Launcher
* Chassis & Mobility: Stretched Bradley Fighting Vehicle chassis powered by a 600 hp Cummins VTA-903T diesel engine; max road speed of 64 km/h (40 mph)
* Crew Complement: 3 (Section Chief, Driver, Gunner) housed inside an Armored Cab Enclosure (ACE) offering ballistic and CBRN protection
* Fire Control Systems: Common Fire Control System (CFCS) with modernized digital network architecture for rapid sensor-to-shooter targeting
* Armament Capabilities: Twin launch pods carrying up to 12 GMLRS rockets (70+ km range), 12 ER-GMLRS rockets (150 km range), or 2 Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM, 499+ km range)
