The Ministry of Defence has launched a request for information (RFI) on technologies to counter fast, jet-powered uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), warning that the growing threat risks overwhelming current air defences.
According to the document, “the proliferation of affordable, long-range, jet-powered One-Way Effector Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (OWE-UAV) presents a significant and evolving threat to both deployed forces and critical national infrastructure. These threats exploit advantages in cost and volume, making traditional kinetic air defence solutions economically unviable and leading to the potential saturation of existing layered defence systems.”
The RFI, published under project code 715604460, was issued in collaboration with the Drone Capability Coalition. It stresses that this is not yet a procurement exercise but an attempt to survey industry.
“The purpose of this RFI is to understand the current industry landscape and maturity of a capability to counter jet-powered OWE-UAV. The information gathered will be used to inform the Authority’s strategic planning and to potentially refine future requirements around the development, production and support of such a capability.”
The MoD outlines a notional performance profile of the threat, noting that such drones may operate “at speeds in excess of 350km/h and at altitudes between ground level and 12000ft+ Above Ground Level (AGL) with a high degree of autonomy to reduce susceptibility to Electronic Counter Measures (ECM).”
In response, the ministry is exploring whether “the development of a purpose-built, high-speed, interceptor drone designed specifically to neutralise jet-powered OWE-UAVs” is feasible.
Suppliers are invited to provide details on potential payloads, propulsion, operating ranges, survivability, integration with existing radar or command networks, and capacity to operate in a swarm environment. Industry has also been asked to give indicative production costs, scalability, supply chain risks, and timelines for delivering an initial operational capability.
While the notice does not commit to future procurement, the ministry states that “the Authority may, at its discretion, invite selected respondents to a follow-up engagement session to discuss their submissions in more detail.”
Lol. Who requires a “drone swarm” to overwhelm an air defence which barely exists?
Four QRA fighters spread over the entire country do not constitute a credible air defence against a sneak attack by anything.
One SSGN could take out the bulk of our MPA and northern fighter force in a single strike.
Sadly I do agree. The UK has always been confident that assumed NATO air supremacy (needs USAF to achieve ) meant just minimal land based systems are required, primarily for land units. Sadly this approach now simply will not be enough. The US may not be there and the drone threat to strategic (and rare) assets means the whole landscape has changed beyond recognition.
80 years after the Doodle bug !
I would think taking out a jet-powered uncrewed aerial vehicle would be pretty much the same as taking out a jet-powered crewed aerial vehicle
Except for cost. The drones we are talking about here exploit modern cheap low end electronics to provide sufficient AI capability to navigate to the target and possibly flying the odd dogleg flight path to make targeting that little bit harder, but are otherwise modern day doddlebugs… i.e. really cheap and simple to build in considerable numbers. Far cheaper to build that the defending SAM’s.
Cheers CR
Would not take much to over load our only full Air Defence Regt and 4 QRA aircraft. That is all that protects the entire country. And the Air Defence Regt is not even set up, is parked in garages un manned 24/7. The only place with British manned air defence in the world is the Falklands.
That AD Regiment is one of two regular, 16RA and 12RA.
One MRAD on Sabre, which I assume you’re referring to, the other on Stormer Starstreak or LMM.
And both are for defence of the deployed Field Army, not the UK mainland and key sites.
Being picky, as your wider point on the state of our AD stands, there is actually another manned unit, 34 Sqn RAF Regiment, which I mention below, has some additional assets. The RAF Regs move back into the GBAD field is not well known and quite small, but it exists.
The notice doesn’t commit to future procurement.
Tick.
MoD HMG warn all and sundry on the dangers.
Tick.
MoD HMG have GBAD plan regards the Army in place for years now, and talk of it often.
Tick.
HMG MoD still won’t provide any firm details on the what, when, how many, and how in reality MRAD is to “double” and SHORAD is to “Triple” with no increase in personnel, nor how Wavell is trying to address this with any internal orbat reorgs.
Tick.
And that is just for the Field Army.
For the wider UK CNI and Military, Intelligence key nodes, MoBs, and other critical points of failure, we have “saturation of EXISTING LAYERED AD SYSTEMS.”
Those systems being what exactly? Layered? Does the public actually believe this stuff?
The UK ASCS ASF is comprehensive regards C3, RRH, the RAP, and the QRA system it links into works. But it is wafer thin, only one CRC remains, there is no known alternate, and there is no GBAD whatsoever as a part of the ASF beyond an RAF Regiment Sqn which contributes a handful of CAUS, some LMM Launchers, and an undisclosed and very low key purchase of an unknown number of Silent Sentry CAUS.
And I believe this unit may well be primarily for defence of deployed RAF assets, not just the home base.
As usual, endless words.
Correction to the above, thought that name Silent Sentry sounded wrong.
The system bought low key for the RAF Regiment is called “Rapid Sentry”
Hi Dadiele,
Nice post mate but there were a number of arconyms that I didn’t understand I even accessed the MOD list of acronyms (all 400 odd pages of it to no avail so I was hoping you could educate me.
ASF had four meanings, Additional Secondary Factors, Aeromedical Staging Facility, Anti‐Surface Force and Army Standard Family (shelters). ASCS, RRH and CAUS weren’t listed at all. CRC Contact Reporting Centre or Control and Reporting Centre?
I am guessing that the last para refers to what was called the UK Air Defence Ground Environment?
Not the first time have come across unlisted MoD acronyms cost me a few days delay on a project one time!
Thanks CR
Yes funny, it seems the ability to publish documents is now the ultimate defence.. I’m sure the MOD can just build a massive defensive wall of publications. Who needs actual stuff.
This is I presume meant to be funny.
So they’re looking at a suicide Drone, in effect?
Rather than a one way Strike Drone, one to hit incoming jet powered Drones.
NATO probably has command of fast jet and manned airspace but drones is for all actors.
As experience in Ukraine has shown, with decoys and weight of numbers there is no real defence. Imagine a disguised container ship in the North Sea, within minutes a drone swarm is launched at Bacton, Walpole and a few other sites. Result, no gas, no electricity for the east of England. Attacks on airfields like Waddington? Well use your imagination.
This government, and all others are full of brown stuff.
The best defence is always the ability to blow their stuff up more than they can blow your stuff up.
MOD should take a good look at Israel’s layered air defences, which were proven to shoot down anything from drones to Ballistic missiles.
Wire fences around military and critical civilian sites were introduced primarily in the 20th century to keep out unwanted visitors, a first line of defence. Today, every site deemed necessary for perimeter fence protection will now qualify for drone protection, too, jet-powered or otherwise. That is a daunting task for governments to swallow due to the enormity of the land space involved and the staggering costs. Suddenly, defence requirements have escalated in terms of scope and costs. MOD is no longer just concerned with budgeting new kit for the three services, but has to combat new cheap technologies (some obtainable from a high street store) and could blow current annual budgets out of the window. The days of rational programme timelines could be a thing of the past, and AI may save our bacon or be a further exacerbator. Instead of just wire fencing, we may have to resort to huge anti-drone nets strung above sensitive installations, which will be both unsightly and horrendously expensive.
(some obtainable from a high street store)
Only shops in the high streets nowadays are Betting shops, Vape and Charity, governments killed off the high streets years ago.
Oh I forgot Turkish Barbers, they sell everything, at a cost !
“Something for the weekend sir”.
It wouldn’t take much to overwhelm an air defence that barely exists!
Overwhelm traditional layered air defence systems… well a start would be actually have a traditional layered air defence system for our critical infrastructure and expeditionary land and air forces.