The U.K. plans to spend $5.8 billion over the next 10 years on unmanned systems for its military, according to a new strategy published on Feb. 22.
The British Ministry of Defense’s new drone strategy cites lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine as driving its new approach, which includes a focus on buying and delivering innovative unmanned capabilities faster.
“The conflict in Ukraine has become a very visible representation of a ‘new way of war’, one characterized by innovation, the proliferation of technology, digitization of the battlefield and the need to rapidly develop capability fit for the tempo of operations,” U.K. Minister of Defence Procurement James Cartlidge writes in the document. “There is no clearer example than the development and employment of uncrewed systems, where low-cost solutions are increasingly defeating more exquisite capabilities and delivering disproportionate impact on the battlefield. The U.K. must learn from the Ukrainian experience, amongst other lessons, to position ourselves as a world leader in uncrewed systems.”
Cartlidge adds the implementing the strategy will “require changes in [the Ministry of Defense’s] processes, culture and relationship with industry.”
“We will need to foster a culture of delivery-focused innovation across [the Ministry of] Defense, able to rapidly pull research and development breakthroughs into the frontline. The U.K.’s leading manufacturing, robotics and digital sectors will be vital in supporting [the Ministry of] Defense,” Cartlidge said. “Our approach to uncrewed systems will drive a more deliberate and coherent partnership with our industrial base, ensuring vital onshore resilience and component stockpiles. In close partnership with industry, we will spirally and collaboratively develop platforms and components to keep up with relentless cycles of battlefield adaptation, whilst driving sovereign industrial strength – and the export opportunities necessary to reinforce such resilience.”
The drone strategy lays out specific objectives for the U.K. to get after expediting the adoption of acquisition reforms, building a resilient industrial base, defining digital architectures to allow for “seamless operational integration” and fostering a culture of innovation.
The document notes potential use cases for unmanned systems the U.K. may go over after with its $5.8 billion “foundation of investment,” to include naval mine clearance, one way attack, heavy lift and intelligence and surveillance.
On Ukraine, the strategy cites lessons learned on the importance of procurement, rapid delivery of innovative systems and ensuring iterative capability development.
The strategy notes the the U.K. has “provided thousands of uncrewed systems” to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion, with plans to spend “hundreds of millions” on such systems as part of the recently announced $3.2 billion in further security assistance commitments.
The Pentagon is currently pursuing its own Replicator initiative to produce and field thousands of “all-domain attritable autonomous systems, or ADA2 capabilities, over the next 18 to 24 months.
Doug Beck, director of DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit, said earlier this month the technologies picked for Replicator may include both currently-deployed systems and newer capabilities that have not yet been operationalized (Defense Daily, Feb. 15).