Royal Navy launches Project Vanquish to test carrier-launched drone
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,
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![NATO expands high-altitude intelligence capability with MQ-4C Triton purchase]()
NATO expands high-altitude intelligence capability with MQ-4C Triton purchase
The proposed drone acquisition is intended to form part of a distributed structure of surveillance capabilities, complementing systems such as the RQ-4D Global Hawks already acquired by NATO.
-
![US Air Force lays the groundwork to move the F-15EX acquisition to lots 7 and 8]()
US Air Force lays the groundwork to move the F-15EX acquisition to lots 7 and 8
Procurement of the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System for future production lots signals the air force's commitment to an expanded 267-aircraft Eagle II fleet while sustaining full electronic warfare capability on every fighter.
-
![US Air Force unveils new details of Next Generation Airlift aircraft to replace C-17 and C-5]()
US Air Force unveils new details of Next Generation Airlift aircraft to replace C-17 and C-5
New planning documents reveal how the service is defining the aircraft expected to succeed the C-17 and C-5, including its initial requirements and procurement roadmap.
-
![Could CUAS demand open a new market for armed trainer aircraft?]()
Could CUAS demand open a new market for armed trainer aircraft?
As affordable counter-drone solutions become a military priority, repurposing training aircraft could emerge as a credible option to prepare for emergency scenarios.
-
![A new shape in the sky? Mapping out the F-47’s configuration]()
A new shape in the sky? Mapping out the F-47’s configuration
As images of what might be an F-47 prototype or proof-of-concept vehicle emerge from the Nevada desert, what do they tell us about the aircraft’s capabilities and enabling technologies?
