Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Monday, 7 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
Unmanned Air Systems
- Question
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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, what progress has he made in ensuring ACPs are designed to operate in collaboration with a) fourth-, b) fifth- and c) future generations of combat aircraft and d) to operate from UK aircraft carriers, as outlined in Recommendation 46.
- Answer
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In the future battlespace, Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP) will come in all shapes and sizes; as such communication and collaboration levels with all generations of combat air will be defined by role, size and complexity of ACP design.
The Storm Fighter Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme is actively supporting the Royal Navy's future Hybrid Carrier Air Wing concept which seeks to integrate crewed aircraft, including the F-35B, with autonomous, uncrewed systems directly on the decks of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. In addition, Project Vanquish, is informing future requirements through trials of Royal Navy high-subsonic, jet-powered drones alongside the carrier-based F-35B force that will inform the future Joint Requirement.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 22966
- Session
- 2026-27
- Related items
- Subjects
- Unmanned air systems
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2026-09-25 11:34:43 +0100
- URI
- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2026-27/22966
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