The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that work on autonomous, carrier-based refuelling and logistics aircraft for the Royal Navy remains ongoing, underlining that no decisions have yet been taken on fielding such systems.
In written answers to the House of Lords, defence minister Lord Coaker said the Royal Navy is “exploring Fixed Wing Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) as an augmentation for the F-35B Lightning jets embarked on Queen Elizabeth Class carriers,” including their potential role in air-to-air refuelling within the future Hybrid Air Wing.
The statement confirms that autonomous refuelling aircraft remain part of active capability development rather than a settled procurement. Lord Coaker said the Royal Navy will work “collaboratively with the Royal Air Force to evaluate emerging solutions for this capability.”
The minister pointed to Project Vanquish as the current demonstrator effort, describing it as “the demonstration of a short take-off and landing jet-powered ACP to a QEC carrier,” and said it represents “the first step to realising this ambition.” No in-service date or procurement decision has yet been set.
In a separate written answer, Lord Coaker also reaffirmed that the Royal Navy is still assessing options for an autonomous Carrier Onboard Delivery capability. He said “all options for a Carrier Onboard Delivery capability are being considered,” with work underway on unmanned maritime lift concepts.
That activity includes trials of “fixed and rotary-wing aircraft capable of operating from Queen Elizabeth Class carriers,” but again without a commitment to a specific platform or timetable.
Both capability areas are linked to the Hybrid Air Wing model recommended in the Strategic Defence Review. Lord Coaker said that “investment decisions to support Strategic Defence Review recommendations are being developed” and will be detailed in the Defence Investment Plan.
No money. No funding. No Direction. The only things it produces is powerpoint slides to allow Ministers to pretend activity.
Welcome to the wonderful world of the MOD Imaginarium.
No decision. Of course not. Onwards and downwards we go.
The carrier ACP is described as ‘strike and AAR’ rather than including air to air. Possibly an indication that they will be relatively heavy and slow, taking over heavy cruise missile carriage from F35 and with lifting capacity for AAR? If so, it will be very interesting to see what industry come up with to try and land such a jet on a carrier.
Carrier based drone refilling is largely irrelevant for UK carriers operating F35B.
Getting drop tanks on F35B is much much more useful and relevant. These were key to Israel success. Crazy that LM is not offering them.
LM are looking again at external tanks, 600 gallon rather than the original 462 gallon ones originally proposed. Probably manufactured by Cyclone in Israel.
But, in the spirit of pantomime,
everyone together now…
“its dependent on Block 4”
DOH!! Of course no procurement decision has been made, you can’t buy something that doesn’t exist 🤷🏻♂️
Only the Yanks are developing a drone refueller, the Boring MQ-25 Stingray. It’s far from operational let alone proven. It also uses a catapult though it may be possible for it to use a ski-jump instead.
Still, nothing being on the market to buy hasn’t stopped the usual suspects from complaining that nothing has been bought… 🤦🏻♂️
An alternate would be to buy 2 or 3 Embraer KC-390 for the RN FAA. Able to operate from primitive airstrips that RAF Voyager cannot. The KC-390 could thus stay closer to the fleet.
What’s the point? Given the lack of offensive weaponry on our F35s, would it not be better to spend money on addressing that rather than give them the ability tp fly around for longer carrying nothing?
What isn’t under review? Even the review is under review.