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    ContractsCounter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) Development - Phase 1 Exploration
    Open tender

    Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) Development - Phase 1 Exploration

    Contract value
    £125m
    Published 2 Sept 2026

    Accelerate development of innovative counter-unmanned aircraft system technologies for autonomous vehicle-mounted defence against emerging aerial threats.

    🇬🇧United Kingdom· LondonPublished 2 Sept 2026· TodayviaFind a Tender
    Contract value
    £125m
    Published 2 Sept 2026

    Decision brief

    4 fields
    • Contract value
      est.£125,000,000
      Pounds sterling
    • Closing date
      Rolling
      No closing date published
    • Sector
      Research & Innovation
      Browse related listings
    • Location
      🇬🇧United Kingdom
      London

    Lifecycle

    Open

    Open tender — no closing date published. Opened today.

    2 September 2026
    Open tender · no closing date published

    Brief

    Defence is seeking innovative technologies to detect, track, identify, and neutralize mass and low-cost unmanned threats cost-effectively without depleting conventional ammunition stockpiles. Current systems face limitations including restricted firepower capacity, high engagement costs, and difficulty adapting to evolving threats. Phase 1 focuses on identifying and supporting organizations to accelerate development of existing technologies toward deployable counter-UAS systems, with particular interest in Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) effectors, though alternative credible novel approaches are welcome. The desired capability should be autonomous, vehicle-mounted, and protect deployed forces against complex saturation attacks while delivering affordable combat effectiveness. The solution must address Class 1 unmanned aerial systems and small aerial threats, support scalable integration onto future uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), and align with broader Joint Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) capabilities. Successful Phase 1 submissions will lead to iterative development through subsequent phases, with potential transition to operational deployment, wider adoption through a Programme of Record, and export opportunities. Organizations should demonstrate feasibility of their technology within the specified scope without delivering a complete operational system in Phase 1.

    Track record

    4 awards · 4 winners
    Open field

    No single supplier dominates the field.

    In research innovation, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE has awarded 4 contracts to 4 suppliers.

    Who wins here
    1. UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH1× · 25%
    2. LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY1× · 25%
    3. PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP1× · 25%
    4. PHOENIX SOFTWARE LTD1× · 25%

    Across research innovation, the most active winners are IPSOS MARKET RESEARCH LIMITED, WSP UK LIMITED, TUV SUD LIMITED — the field to beat, or your route in as a partner.

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    Take action
    View tender on sourceFind a Tender

    Full notice and submission process on the publisher's site

    Publisher
    UK Cabinet Office
    Licence
    OGL v3.0
    Source
    find-tender.service.gov.uk
    Record ID
    ocds-h6vhtk-06f06f
    MD
    Buyer
    MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
    Sector
    Research & Innovation