AtkinsRealis has signed a teaming agreement with Anduril UK aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous aircraft for British defence programmes, with the partnership focused on safety, assurance and regulatory support.
Under the agreement, AtkinsRealis will provide expertise to help Anduril UK navigate emerging certification pathways and establish assurance standards for autonomous operations, including cyber security requirements. The companies said this is intended to support the delivery of trusted uncrewed systems capable of operating safely and securely within UK military frameworks.
The announcement comes amid growing defence interest in autonomy, with the Strategic Defence Review identifying autonomous capabilities as a key element in modernising the Armed Forces and maintaining a technological edge. Both firms framed autonomy as a means of reducing risk to personnel while offering operational advantages in areas such as reconnaissance. The collaboration, described as exclusive for Anduril UK’s uncrewed flight programmes in UK defence, combines AtkinsRealis experience in novel aerospace platform development and uncrewed system assurance with Anduril’s autonomous systems and software-defined defence approach.
AtkinsRealis said its regulatory knowledge will support Anduril in engaging with both the Military Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority, and in managing defence lines of development in a way that supports faster innovation while maintaining appropriate levels of oversight. The companies also said AtkinsRealis is supporting Anduril UK’s plans to establish a UK manufacturing site for an uncrewed platform, drawing on its infrastructure and industrial delivery capabilities. On its website, the firm says it has more than 14,000 employees across the UK, including around 2,000 working on defence-related projects. The proposed site is intended to support Anduril’s UK investment, supply the British Armed Forces and potentially enable exports to wider Europe.
David Clark, Vice President for Global Defence at AtkinsRéalis, said:
“Autonomous systems have rightly been identified as a priority for defence transformation. Delivering this vision requires proportionate approaches which turn innovative technologies into operationally assured, deployable capabilities. Through this agreement with Anduril UK, we can contribute our decades of defence delivery and sovereign programme expertise to help deliver trusted, deployable autonomous systems that bolster national security.”
Rich Drake, Managing Director of Anduril UK, said the partnership was focused on how the UK fields modern systems at pace. “This collaboration is about how the UK builds and fields modern defence systems, not just a single platform,” he said. “By pairing Anduril’s software-first approach with AtkinsRéalis’ strengths in assurance and regulation, we will ensure that our armed forces stay ahead for the long term.”
