The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense has taken a significant step toward developing a fixed-wing autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of taking off and landing from Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers without the need for any special equipment (such as a catapult or arresting gear). With this initiative, launched under the name “Project VANQUISH,” the United Kingdom aims to usher in a new era in AI-powered naval aviation and lay the foundation for the future “hybrid air fleet” concept.
Project VANQUISH: Request for Information Published for STOL UAV
The Ministry of Defense officially began work on the development and demonstration of a fixed-wing autonomous platform (Autonomous Collaborative Platform/ACP) with Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) capabilities through a Request for Information (RFI) published on October 3, 2025.
The primary objective of the VANQUISH Project—officially named the “Fixed Wing STOL Autonomous Collaborative Platform (FW STOL ACP)” —is to investigate the feasibility of deploying jet-powered, high-subsonic-speed unmanned aerial vehicles from Royal Navy aircraft carriers. The missions these autonomous UAVs are planned to undertake include the following:
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). Attack Operations. Tanker UAV (refueling to extend the range of other assets)
Target Process and Attritable Classification
The Department plans to conduct the first at-sea demonstration of the platform under development by the end of 2026 and states that suppliers will be granted up to 18 months of flexibility for delivery.
The project is classified as “Tier 2 attritable.” The term “attritable” here means that the loss of the system in high-risk missions is tolerable; consequently, the platform will be designed to be less expensive, suitable for mass production, yet recoverable and reusable.
The VANQUISH UAVs are intended to serve as “disposable force multipliers” that extend the range and mission versatility of the Royal Navy’s existing manned assets, such as the F-35B Lightning II fighter jets and other ship-based assets. This marks the first concrete step toward the hybrid air fleet concept, in which manned and unmanned aerial vehicles will operate together.
Foundations of the Hybrid Air Fleet Concept
According to the published RFI, the most critical capability of the aircraft to be developed will be the ability to perform fully autonomous takeoffs and landings from Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers without the use of a catapult or arrestor gear. This capability is compatible with the current short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) operational framework of UK aircraft carriers, but represents a fully autonomous capability specifically for unmanned systems.
The VANQUISH Project is the latest demonstration of the United Kingdom’s growing investment in and strategic focus on autonomous systems in naval aviation. If successful, it will significantly enhance the Royal Navy’s future operational flexibility and strike capability.
