Turkiye is the first country to have a carrier operating with its own drone fleet after the TCG Anadolu is launched in 2023. But it is only a modified helicopter carrier after the Lockheed Martin F-35 purchase was canceled because the country bought a rocket system from Russia.
The record of the first country to have a ship specifically designed for drones is held by China. According to a Naval News report, this ship was secretly launched in 2022 with it being shorter and not as wide as the Fujian carrier which was launched in the same year. J
In terms of size it matches the size of an aircraft carrier escort from the Second World War. No CATOBAR system can be seen with the deck only having a straight track. The elevator system is also not visible through the satellite images taken. Due to the much smaller size of the drone, the size of this carrier is smaller than TC Anadolu and Japan's JS Kaga.
The use of drones on the battlefield is now inevitable with predictions that they will replace aircraft with human pilots. America has a Replicator Program consisting of thousands of drones that can be directed to attack in groups and also Manta Rays that operate under the sea. Australia with Ghost Shark and Loyal Wingman.
The fact that drones are cheaper and harder to detect allows attacks to be carried out without sacrificing the lives of human pilots. The two biggest conflicts of the 21st century showed how effective drones are in destroying conventional weapons systems, forcing the rapid development of deterrent systems such as the Leonidas.