Written question asked by Lord West of Spithead (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 2 January 2026. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Monday, 22 December 2025 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
Aircraft Carriers: Unmanned Air Systems
- Question
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To ask His Majesty's Government when the UK's carrier battle groups will have a carrier-based, fully autonomous, unmanned air-to-air refuelling tanker.
- Answer
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The Royal Navy (RN) is exploring Fixed Wing Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) as an augmentation for the F-35B Lightning jets embarked on Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) carriers. This would be as a means of providing additional strike capability and air-to-air refuelling within the Hybrid Air Wing construct. The RN will work collaboratively with the Royal Air Force to evaluate emerging solutions for this capability.
Project Vanquish, the demonstration of a short take-off and landing jet- powered ACP to a QEC carrier, was recently announced by the First Sea Lord and is the first step to realising this ambition.
Investment decisions to support Strategic Defence Review recommendations are being developed by the Ministry of Defence and will be published in the Defence Investment Plan.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- HL13067
- Session
- 2024-26
- Subjects
- Aircraft carriers Unmanned air systems
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2025-12-22 17:15:25 +0000
- URI
- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/lords/2024-26/HL13067
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- http://indexing.parliament.uk/Content/Edit/1?uri=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/lords/2024-26/HL13067
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