This is Drone Wars UK’s list of key UK MoD programmes seeking to integrate AI into warfighting. There is likely to be more programmes and projects that are classified. The list will be updated as more information becomes available. [Last Updated: May 2026]
| Programme Name | Service | About | Current state |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASGARD – Project | Army | An initiative designed to enhance the UK’s reconnaissance and strike capabilities through “a software-defined, network-enabled system.” Three elements of the project are ‘effectors’, digital innovation and ISTAR/ Command, Control and Communications. | 26 companies awarded contracts in early 2026 to take forwards work under Project ASGARD. |
| Atlantic Bastion | RN | Atlantic Bastion will combine autonomous vessels and AI with warships and aircraft to create a highly advanced hybrid force to protect undersea cables and pipelines. | Atlantic Bastion is Phase Two of Atlantic Net. |
| Atlantic Net | RN | Atlantic Net will deliver underwater ISR as a service through a contractor-owned, contractor-operated, naval oversight (COCONO) model.” Atlantic Net will be data focused, providing information direct to the Maritime Operational Commander ashore to inform decision making.” | See Atlantic Bastion. |
| Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP) | RN / RAF | Also known as ‘Loyal Wingman’, ACP are new a type of drone developed to accompany crewed aircraft. | RAF published ACP development strategy in June 2024. UK launched Tranche 2 in development of ACP in 2025. |
| Black Opal | Army | BLACK OPAL will, through data exploitation and the use of AIs, enhance our insights, assessment, and measurement of effectiveness, in a single visualised version of the truth, whilst increasing tempo, and competitive advantage over our adversaries | Contract awarded in 2024. |
| CASTLE – Project | Cross service | CASTLE (Cyber Agents for Security Testing and Learning Environments) trains AI to autonomously defend networks against advanced persistent cyber threats. | Part of UK/US/Canadian work on AI and cyber technology. |
| Charybdis – Project | RN | To leverage advances in autonomy, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning (AI/ML) to field a persistent and deployable unmanned ASW surveillance capability. | Phase One completed. Further developments awaited. |
| Deep Thought Programme | RAF | Named in MoD FoI response (after initial refusal) as an Air Command programme but little detail known. | |
| Digital Targeting Web | Cross service | DTW is not a single system or technology but is instead a broad conceptual framing that unifies discrete targeting capabilities across the services and wider defence enterprise. Its purpose is to integrate, not merely procurement of a product/s. DTW is to enable a ‘full spectrum, cross domain approach to joint targeting’ by using both ‘kinetic’ and ‘non-kinetic’ against physical and non-physical targets. | MOD has committed to integrate the Armed Forces through a new Digital Targeting Web by 2027. This will connect sensors, deciders and effectors to create choice and speed when operating in any contested domain. |
| GCAP – Global Combat Air programme – informally Tempest (sometimes Edgewing) | RAF | Initiated in 2022, GCAP is a trilateral initiative between the UK, Italy, and Japan to develop a sixth-generation combat aircraft informally called Tempest. AI is being introduced though an Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA). | First flight scheduled for 2027 (unlikely) with in service date of 2035. |
| Human Machine Teaming Framework | Army | The £300 million Human Machine Teaming (HMT) framework aims to use autonomous systems, data and robotics to make faster, more efficient decisions on the battlefield – and to reduce the density of human soldiers where possible. | Current programme ongoing. |
| Hydra (Robust Autonomy at Scale) | Cross service | Hydra (DSTL) project has resulted in the development of the ‘UK/US artificial intelligence toolbox’, intended to detect and recognise enemy vehicles from surveillance video and other data collected from UAVs. | Software deployed on trials in 2023 – little heard of since. |
| MCBRIDE | Army | “Cross-domain integration of Zodiac [see below]will be delivered through Project McBride, which will bring information into the land environment from the other domains ensuring commanders have access to the most relevant information as fast as possible. It will also feed information from the land domain back into the joint environment. Working together Zodiac and McBride will give commanders during future land operations access to the rich intelligence | |
| NEXUS | Cross Service | NEXUS is an AI-based cloud computing system for sharing information between different combat units . Together with the RAVEN virtual communications node, NEXUS is intended to provide forces with a ‘common operational picture’ by fusing data from multiple sources | Became operational in 2021 but still being developed. |
| NOCTUA – Project | Army | “NOCTUA is to expand the availability and utility of intelligence analysis to all intelligence analysts. All intelligence personnel in the Army, who are suitably trained, will be issued an account to access NOCTUA at OS and S.” | Contract awarded in 2023. |
| ODYSSEY | Defence Intelligence | ODYSSEY will deliver a step change in data analytics capability to the end user community. It will provide the core data fabric and flexible analytic tooling required for intelligence to be consumed as a service across Defence. This Intelligence as a Service (IaaS) approach will enable all Defence users to rapidly and conveniently access intelligence appropriate to their role. | Little information in the public domain beyond outreach to industry. |
| OMNIA – Project | RAF | Named by MoD as UK Air Command Project in FoI to Metro but no detail given – named again in FoI to DWUK in Oct 2025. | |
| Organon | Army | Named as British Army AI programme in Metro FoI release but no further details. | |
| Sapient | Cross service | SAPIENT uses autonomy to reduce the workload of people operating multi-sensor systems, in security and defence scenarios. It is the concept of a network of advanced sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) at the edge, combined with intelligent fusion and sensor management. | SAPIENT has been widely adopted in the counter uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) area. It has been used operationally. |
| SPOTTER – Project | Defence Intelligence | Project SPOTTER uses Machine Learning techniques to support and enhance imagery analysts’ output, using automated detection and identification of objects within classified satellite imagery. | Appears to be in operation at Corsham. |
| SQUINTER – Project | Defence Intelligence | Project SQUINTER is similar in nature to SPOTTER but is focused on Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite data instead of Electro-Optical. Machine Learning and Computer Vision techniques are being used to detect and identify objects of interest in an automated workflow. | Appears to be in operation at Corsham. |
| STARTLE | RN | The Startle A.I. system is designed to help ease the load on sailors monitoring the ‘Air Picture’ in the Operations Room, providing live recommendations and alerts. | Tested in exercises in 2024 – unclear if currently operational. |
| SyCOIEA (SYstem Coordinating Operational Interaction for Effects Assignment) | RN | SyCOIEA is a Threat Evaluation and Weapon Assignment (TEWA) research demonstrator. Its objective is “to create and demonstrate a system that will support TEWA operators during times of high stress, high tempo warfare with the expectation that decision making is improved”. Tested in conjunction with STARTLE | Appears to be operational on some T45s. Part of ‘Intelligent Ship’. |
| Urban Canyon Sixth Sense (UC6S) | Army | Urban Canyon Sixth Sense is a £2.3 million project which aims to investigate how AI can assist military vehicle crew with information management and decision making in an urban environment. | |
| WINTERMUTE | RN/RAF | Series of trials/exercies to build data and validate AI algorithms | Third trial held in May 2025. |
| ZODIAC – Project | Army | Project ZODIAC will deliver an integrated Land ISTAR Command and Control system that connects sensors, decision makers and effectors. The digitalisation of ISTAR will enable advanced ways of working through data-driven decisions, exploiting AI and Machine Learning to reduce the cognitive burden and enhance the Army’s ability to act with greater tempo and precision. | Linked with MCBRIDE. |