United Kingdom Defense Seeks Affordable and Adaptable Unmanned Air Systems
This initiative seeks novel innovations from industry and academia to help give the British Army an advantage through affordable and adaptable autonomous air systems (UAS). The Russian invasion of Ukraine, conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and terrorist groups throughout the Middle East has indicated a rise in the proliferation of low-cost autonomous or semi-autonomous platforms. Combatants have used these platforms to reduce the high workforce and financial cost of deploying large numbers of ground forces. These trends are likely to continue on the future battlefield and conflict may depend on easy to use, affordable, and modular or adaptable autonomous or semi-autonomous systems.
To prepare for this, British Army Innovation is looking for disruptive, high readiness and reliable ways to implement this strategy into both current and future forces. The UK MOD seeks proposals to boost the British Army’s domination of the ‘near surface’ (0-10,000 ft above ground level). The goal of this initiative is to exploit emerging technologies to find affordable ways to deliver mass autonomous capabilities.
The British Army is working on prototype autonomous capabilities that could increase the reach and impact of its forces. However, these systems are often complex and expensive. British Army Innovation is therefore searching for technologies that maintain capability and increase affordability.
To achieve this, affordable autonomous systems operating in the ‘near surface’ must be able to:
• Deliver low-cost reliable effects. Platforms must be able to scan an area of interest and target an identified adversary vehicle using on-board systems.
• Search or scan a 4km2 area to find vehicles of interest.
• Target an identified vehicle after search for a subsequent action.
• Survive affordably on the modern battlefield. Counter-uncrewed air systems technology is advancing rapidly, increasing the cost of survival.
Platforms must be able to:
• Operate in a contested or denied electro-magnetic spectrum.
• Survive in an airspace contested by modern layered air defense.
Military systems need very high levels of assurance to operate reliably in the most demanding environments. There are increasing examples of civilian systems providing easy to use, modular hardware and software packages to improve performance of autonomous systems in more benign environments. There is an opportunity to incorporate the best of leading-edge, disruptive thinking from civil platforms into military systems. Incorporating dual use technology that is ready for use in multiple platforms will likely reduce costs and allow military users to take advantage of fast-development cycles. British Army Innovation is looking for the best ways to improve the ‘brains’ in autonomous systems without excessive drains on power, increasing their ability to be detected, significant increase in all up-platform weight, over-reliance on permanent reach back communications or increasing cost.
Use case to consider when forming a proposal:
• A deep reconnaissance unit operates by dispersal and remaining undetected. A mechanized infantry unit operates by maneuver and dominating ground.
• Both units need to be able to find and target enemy forces at long ranges but cannot afford to reveal their position or expend soldiers on micro-managing autonomous platforms.
• Military units need the ability to launch a system and only give additional direction to it when it has arrived at a predetermined position and found a likely target.
• However, the modern battlefield is not an open plain and concealment is likely, so image recognition algorithms alone might not recognize partially obscured targets.
• Assuring communications links over long distances in a contested electromagnetic spectrum is also hard, particularly whilst remaining undetected.
• Finally, navigating to a target area when ‘conventional’ navigation systems become unreliable is challenging.
• Doing all the above reliably, cheaply, and in a way that can be integrated into multiple platforms through simple common interfaces is key.
Your proposal should include evidence of:
• High technology readiness – able to reach TRL 6 by the end of the program.
• High and proven interoperability across systems.
• Low-cost (if scaled to mass-production).
• Ability to scale to thousands of units if viable and subsequently proven.
• Clear demonstration of how the proposal applies to any defense and security context.
Successful proposals must have the ability to be incorporated into prototype platforms developed by a consortium of small and medium enterprises by January 2024. Further trials will continue through 2024. The best solutions that demonstrate cost-effective problem-solving with a high degree of success will be selected.
If you would like to submit a proposal that would boost the British Army’s domination of the ‘near surface’ battle space or to learn more about defense opportunities in the UK, please contact PJ Menner at the U.S. Embassy London via PJ.Menner@trade.gov.