Abstract: A shipboard mounted apparatus for the retrieval of air vehicles, including remotely piloted, or automonous, unmanned vehicles, which includes a deployable lifting device such as a ram-air parachute which is secured through a tow line to the ship traveling upwind therebelow. A capturing device such as a ribbon parachute which may be annular is also movably secured to the tow line immediately below the ram-air parachute and may include a homing beacon therein such that capture of an air vehicle is achieved by it traveling into and collapsing this ribbon parachute. A winch is secured to the ship therebelow and is attached to the lower end of the tow line to control the inward and outward movement of the extended tow line. Once an air vehicle is captured in the ribbon parachute, the tow line is pulled in by the winch allowing the collapsed ribbon parachute and the captured air vehicle to be drawn into the ship to thereby be received by a landing net preferably of an open mesh nylon webbing.