The UK Ministry of Defence has announced a tender for 300 large FPV drones worth £2 million as part of the international Coalition of Drones for Ukraine.
This was reported by the UK Defence Journal.
The tender, titled “Large First-Person View Drone,” involves the procurement of “up to 15 batches of first-person view drones, each consisting of 20 drones and additional options capable of carrying a payload of over 5 kg,” the publication reports.
The Drone Capability Coalition was established in February 2024, spearheaded by Latvia and coordinated closely with the United Kingdom. The coalition’s goal is to ensure the West’s drone technology keeps pace with evolving military threats, particularly in Ukraine, where UAVs have become essential for both reconnaissance and combat missions. The coalition’s objectives also include securing a stable supply chain for drone parts and promoting drone manufacturing within coalition countries.
The coalition has rapidly grown to include members from across the globe, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, with a focus on supporting Ukraine’s drone operations as well as enhancing the drone capabilities of allied nations.
Drones have proven indispensable on the Ukrainian battlefield, where they have been used extensively to identify enemy positions and strike with precision. At the same time, the procurement will strengthen the UK’s domestic capabilities, providing an opportunity for British industry to play a key role in the future of UAV technology. Successful testing could lead to mass production of drones.
The procurement deadline is set for October 14, 2024, with the UK aiming to deliver the drones between November and December. Should the systems meet the coalition’s requirements, this could lead to broader, long-term production contracts that would see the UK’s drone capability continue to expand.
