Anduril Industries, building on its existing partnership with Archer Aviation, will lead a team for upcoming advanced air mobility programmes, including bidding for future flight opportunities. Anduril UK will receive additional support from Skyports Drone Services and AtkinsRéalis.
The companies will together explore civil and defence applications in the UK using Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft. This includes explorations for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, enabling low-emission, rapid-response logistics to support a wide range of UK-focused civil and military use cases, including cargo.
Anduril will serve as the lead systems integrator incorporating software-defined mission autonomy, communications, and command-and-control systems tailored for UK operational needs. Archer will act as the platform provider, adapting Archer’s Midnight platform for dual-use applications and continuing its work with Anduril on the planned hybrid aircraft.
This also marks Anduril bringing in Archer’s VTOL technologies to the UK market, furthering investment, job creation and competition to strengthen the UK’s capabilities in aviation and defence, and furthering Anduril UK’s commitment to UK Defence and wider economic growth. The group will also continue work together on Archer and Anduril’s previously announced hybrid-propulsion VTOL aircraft.
AtkinsRéalis, which was recently appointed as the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s first approved assessor of commercial drones, will provide support by incorporating novel aviation technologies into UK airspace.
Skyports Drone Services brings its own operational experience to the team, having delivered a number of BVLOS campaigns for major clients including the NHS and Royal Mail. In 2024, it took part in The Royal Navy Heavy Lift Challenge, demonstrating the efficacy of dual-use aircraft.
Over the past two years, AtkinsRéalis and Skyports have been demonstrating the feasibility of an eVTOL ecosystem in the UK, as members of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, which is supported by the Future Flight Challenge Phase 3. This consortium is developing key technology and infrastructure, and exploring key aspects of the passenger journey, vehicle operation, airspace navigation, ground charging, and local stakeholder engagement.
Dr Rich Drake, Managing Director of Anduril UK said that the UK has clear ambitions both for innovation and growth in advanced air mobility and that the new partnership will “unlock opportunities in defence and civil domains, including rapid, low-emission urban transport and surveillance capabilities for defence applications”.
The team’s first project on cargo services is expected to lay the groundwork for other applications, such as surveillance and search and rescue.
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