THE UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) is looking to begin the procurement of a series of jet-powered drones this year, which will operate from Royal Navy platforms. This would potentially include Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, to provide enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.In an Invitation to Tender (ITT) notification published on January 17, the MOD stated that the contracting authority - the Royal Navy - was seeking to assess the potential for maritime airborne uncrewed or autonomous UAS to operate in the ISR, electromagnetic operations (EMO) and threat simulation roles.The timeline for platform delivery stated that Phase 1 of the programme, which has been dubbed Project Vampire, will run as a four-year effort, with options, intended to procure and maintain UAS capabilities, and certify the system through financial years 2021-2022 and 2023. The value of the contract was stated as being ￡6.7m, with evaluation of the ITTs received due by February 21, 2022.
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