UK Seeks Strike and Refuelling Drone for Aircraft Carriers

The UK's Ministry of Defence has published a preliminary market engagement notice under Project VANQUISH, seeking industry views on a new “Fixed Wing Short Take Off and Landing Autonomous Collaborative Platform” (FW STOL ACP) for Royal Navy carriers.

The Find a Tender listing describes the effort as a technical demonstration intended to inform future procurement options for the UK’s “Hybrid Air Wing”.

The notice, identifier 2025/S 000-062294, sets out the requirement in stark terms:

“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, with options for delivery within an 18 month window from the target date also considered.”

The MOD is explicit that the platform must be able to embark and operate autonomously from a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier. It is to be jet turbine powered, capable of high subsonic speed, and launch and recover from carriers without catapults or arrested recovery systems.

The system is expected to carry a credible payload with sufficient endurance, with a clear exploitation path for roles such as ISR, strike, and air-to-air refuelling.

The RFI highlights that this effort should “complement F-35B Lightning, as part of QEC and its Carrier Air Wing”. Officials also stress that the work must be “aligned with the principles of Maritime Aviation Transformation (MATX) and build on previous trials and demonstrations of ACPs from QEC.”

Photo: A Mojave UAV is pictured onboard the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, during trials in November 2023. The RN is integrating its carrier and UAS capabilities to help accelerate generation of mass at sea. (Crown copyright/UK MoD, 2024)

Source: UK Defence Journal;