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Royal Navy launches Project Vanquish to test carrier-launched drone

7th October 2025 - 11:46 GMT | by Lucy Powell, Matty Todhunter in London, UK

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GA-ASI’s Mojave conducted trials on the HMS Prince of Wales in 2023. (Photo: Crown Copyright)

The requirement notice outlines the need for a fixed-wing, short take-off and landing autonomous collaborative platform, as part of the UK Royal Navy’s route towards fielding a hybrid air wing.

The UK Royal Navy (RN) has requested industry proposals for Project Vanquish; an initiative aimed at testing attritable, autonomous collaborative platforms (ACPs) to operate from the navy’s Queen Elizabeth Carrier (QEC).

Project Vanquish will look to deliver a technical demonstration at sea of an attritable, fixed-wing, short take-off and landing (STOL) ACP. The total estimated value for the demonstrator was £12 million (US$16.13 million), with a demonstration aiming to take place by 2026 – or within 18 months of the contract date.

The demonstration is estimated to run until December 2027 at the latest.

As a requirement for the platform,

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