An $8.8 million tender notice for ‘Project Vampire’ calls for four multirole lightweight drones to address several crucial capability problem sets for the Royal Navy’s fixed wing aviation force with the option to buy up to 10 more and a contract extension. Specifications for weapon payloads and a countermeasure suite show intent for the drone to be used to develop further operational concepts and perform threat simulation for fleet training, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

James Marques, Associate Aerospace, Defence and Security Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The project follows a global trend in the development of multi-mission unmanned aerial platforms in the naval domain, beyond traditional usage for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions usually associated with unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs).”

According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Drones (Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles) for Maritime Operation – Thematic Research’, naval users currently account for 28% of the global UAV market, which is expected to grow from its current $8 billion to $15.9 billion in value by 2031.

Marques continues: “A number of factors are fuelling the demand for unmanned platforms, including territorial disputes such as those between China and its neighbours in the South China Sea, as well as security threats from piracy to near-peer conflict.”

For the UK, Project Vampire is one of several unmanned programs in the Future Maritime Aviation Force initiative exploring options for drones that can perform a range of tasks including electronic warfare (EW), airborne early warning (EAW), and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). These would provide a dynamic and potent capability spectrum to the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers across its planned 50-year lifespan.

Marques adds: “Unmanned platforms benefit from low operating costs and high endurance. This makes them an effective way for navies to affordably multiply their combat ability and increase the coverage of their forces, widening surveillance and strike ranges via high-endurance drones. Technological advances in sensors and weaponry, in combination with multi-mission drones and mission-specific payloads will likely escalate the operational tempo and lethality of naval warfare significantly. This will drive growth and competition in the unmanned systems market. The Royal Navy is not alone – the US, China and Russia all have similar maritime drone projects.”