The Royal Navy wants to see a prototype loyal wingman drone flying from one of its aircraft carriers as soon as the end of next year, as detailed in its Project Vanquish brief.
A Request For Information (RFI) recently published on the U.K. Government website puts the value of the initial demonstrator programme at £12 million.
The description reads: “As part of the route to the Royal Navy’s Hybrid Air Wing, Project Vanquish seeks to deliver a technical demonstration at sea of an attritable (Tier 2) Fixed Wing Short Take Off and Landing Autonomous Collaborative Platform (FW STOL ACP); nominal target date by the end of 2026.”
The site goes on to note that bids promising delivery of the system “within an 18-month window from the target date” will also be considered.
The fixed-wing drone’s specified required capabilities include being able to take off and land autonomously from a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier without the need for catapult or arrested recovery.
The uncrewed aerial system (UAS) will also need to be jet-powered, able to achieve “high subsonic” speeds, and be suitable for a use alongside F35-B Lightning aircraft on a range of missions including strike, refuelling, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
- You can read the full RFI details on the UK Government website