To be eligible to submit a proposal into this competition you must be a UK organisation registered at Companies House, a sole trader or academic institute, currently based in the UK, and plan to carry out the work in the UK. Your organisation does not need to be UK-owned.

Organisations are only permitted to submit one proposal into this competition; we ask potential bidders to self-prioritise their best offer

Defence seeks additional capability to detect, track, identify, decide and defeat mass and low-cost threats in a cost-effective manner and without being overwhelmed or exhausting stockpiles. This is particularly acute for deployed land forces, but the problem is applicable to the protection of defence fixed infrastructure.

Current approaches are constrained by limited magazine depth, high cost-per-engagement, limited manoeuvrability, workforce intensity and the difficulty of adapting capabilities at pace as UAS threats evolve.

Based on experience from its earlier Market Engagements and other research, the Authority is particularly interested in capabilities centred on Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) effectors but is open to submissions relating to credible alternative novel approaches.

To address the challenge described in the Introduction we are looking to deliver an integrated C-UAS force-protection capability, capable of autonomous operation, mounted on an Army vehicle.

The capability should protect deployed troops against complex and saturation attacks designed to overwhelm existing defences or deplete conventional munition stocks. It should deliver more affordable combat mass against emerging air threats than legacy systems, and should exploit open architectures, platform-generated power, modular design and autonomous operation.

The initial threat focus is representative Class 1 UAS and related small aerial threats, including single, repeated, sequential and simultaneous threat profiles. This includes threats intended to disrupt operations, conduct surveillance, target fixed or mobile assets, overwhelm local defences or force the disproportionate use of high-cost munitions.

Integration of the capability onto a future uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) is a planned objective.  The solution should provide a scalable pathway towards future Army and Joint Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) capabilities as well as considering possible export opportunities.

Selection for Phase 1 will comprise a two-stage down-selection process.

At Stage 1, suppliers will submit a brief technology review and outline proposal for a technology demonstration and development plan.

These outline proposals will be assessed under the criteria detailed below, and some suppliers will be invited to Stage 2.

At Stage 2 selected suppliers will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal for further evaluation and down-selection.

The deliverable from Phase 1 of the competition is an evidence-based Programme Plan which includes appropriate demonstrations of components as required to provide that evidence.

The Authority encourages suppliers to see UKDI funding as a catalyst which, combined with their own investment, will enable the rapid development and selection of cutting-edge capabilities which can be accelerated into operations in under 2 years and contribute to a future Programme of Record, subject to future approvals and contractual arrangements.

9 September 2026 – Launch webinar providing further detail on the operational context of the problem space and a chance to ask questions in an open forum. If you would like to participate, please register on the Eventbrite page. Please ensure you have read this competition document fully before attending.

Questions can be submitted in advance through Slido link using #UKDINARPANOPTES.

During the competition phase technical queries should be raised through the DSP Messaging Function at NAVY-CommX-DYNAMIC-MARKET@mod.gov.uk.

You can also contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Security and Defence team for assistance.