Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made on the development of UGVs for UK defence purposes.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 recommended a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence within the UK’s conventional force.

It stated a common digital foundation of data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), synthetic environments, and networks should connect people and platforms across all domains, and with allies and partners. This gives the Integrated Force agility, speed of manoeuvre, and effective targeting to outmatch adversaries.

The merits of military use of AI assisted drones are widely acknowledged in several roles and environments, most notably in Ukraine. The availability of extensive suites of sensors designed to operate across the electromagnetic spectrum have removed many of the traditional barriers associated with operations at night or in restricted visibility. Furthermore, the utility for AI enabled drones to exploit these sensors, including during periods of rest for, or absence of, human surveillance teams, is a fundamental consideration for UK Defence’s capability development.

Consequently, the SDR stated that uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Integrated Force in high numbers over the next five years. They will be networked with crewed fifth- and sixth-generation assets as part of a ‘high-low’ mix of capabilities, while these systems’ design will be tailored to the conditions in which they will operate, day or night; whether undersea, at sea, on land, or in the air.

The development of UGV and drone capabilities remains a dynamic and evolving area. While specific projects are underway, detailed information cannot be provided whilst the projects are in their Concept Phase.