The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has chosen four companies to progress the development of autonomous drones designed to operate alongside British Army Apache attack helicopters.
BAE Systems, Anduril Industries’ UK branch, Tekever of Portugal, and Thales UK were down-selected to advance the concept demonstrator programme, Project NYX.
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Earlier this year, the MoD invited seven suppliers including Leonardo and Lockheed Martin UK, to participate following a pre-qualification phase, asking each to submit a design for consideration.
In a statement released on 15 May, the MoD confirmed that the selected four companies will receive a share of £10m ($13.3m) to develop uncrewed air systems (UAS) designed to serve as ‘loyal wingmen’ for the British Army’s AH-64E Apache.
Each organisation will now refine its drone design, contributing options intended to operate autonomously and perform functions such as reconnaissance, precision strike, target acquisition and electronic warfare.
According to the MoD, the drones are designed to function autonomously, providing data to Apache crews without direct pilot control, while humans will continue to make all decisions involving weapon use.
The ministry plans to work closely with the selected partners in the coming months to further assess their respective technologies.
By autumn 2026, the MoD expects to advance up to two of the most promising designs to the prototype stage. If these prototypes demonstrate operational potential, the goal is to have a system available for service with the Army by 2030.
Project NYX aligns with the MoD’s strategic defence review, which has highlighted the significance of autonomous technology for future military operations.
The initiative is managed in collaboration with UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), which brings expertise in delivery, commercial, engineering, and safety aspects to the project.
