Project NYX: Britain shortlists 7 firms for Apache loyal wingman drone programme
January 26, 2026
Last week, the British Government confirmed that seven companies have been shortlisted to develop a loyal wingman drone intended to operate alongside the British Army’s fleet of Apache attack helicopters.
Project NYX, Britain’s loyal wingman drone for Army Apache helicopters
In a news release, the British Government said that “seven industry partners have been invited to bring forward their designs for the futuristic drones, which will accompany British Army helicopters in future battles.”
This forms part of Project NYX, which aims to develop an Uncrewed Air System (UAS) capable of operating cooperatively with Apache helicopters. According to the Ministry of Defence, the programme delivers on commitments set out in the Strategic Defence Review and reflects the UK’s shift towards “a new way of war, by harnessing new technology”.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP said the programme would enhance the Army’s combat effectiveness. “These drones of the future will make the British Army more effective and lethal by enhancing our ability to strike, survive and win on the battlefield,” he said.
British companies are building the future of defence.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 24, 2026
Seven UK industry partners have been selected to develop prototype 'wingman' drones that will operate alongside Apache attack helicopters.
These autonomous systems will work alongside our Armed Forces to keep them safer on… pic.twitter.com/nMGMG9tVQc
Pollard added that Project NYX demonstrated the UK’s ambition to remain at the forefront of autonomous military technology, combining drones, artificial intelligence and autonomy with traditional heavy platforms to improve battlefield survivability and combat power.
How Project NYX loyal wingman drones will support Apache helicopters
The future loyal wingman drone is intended to undertake a range of missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in contested airspace, strike and target acquisition, and electronic warfare.
Much ink has been spilt in recent years on the supposed obsolescence of the attack helicopter in high-intensity conflict. Project NYX serves as a reminder that the debate is more nuanced, with uncrewed systems increasingly seen as a way to extend the reach, survivability and relevance of crewed rotary-wing platforms rather than replace them.
The drones are designed to operate under a “command rather than control” concept, using AI to make independent decisions within defined parameters. In practical terms, Apache crews would task the drone at a mission level rather than directly flying or weapon-controlling it, allowing the system to adapt to complex battlefield conditions.
The British Army has frequently faced criticism over its limited mass, and the loyal wingman concept is intended to help address that by generating additional capability and lethality without putting more crews at risk.
The Army currently operates 50 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, alongside AW159 Wildcat reconnaissance helicopters. The wider UK helicopter fleet is operated under Joint Helicopter Command, with assets shared across the services.
Separately, the US is already working on developing a tilt-rotor loyal wingman drone for its Apache attack helicopters.
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The seven companies shortlisted for Project NYX
The pre-qualification phase concluded in late 2025, and now Britain has invited seven shortlisted industry partners to tender.
While the Government says that British companies have been selected to develop prototypes, some of these seven companies are foreign companies with a branch in the UK.
The seven invited companies are Anduril, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin UK, Syos, Tekever and Thales. This shortlist will be further reduced to four suppliers in March 2026, at which point those companies will be invited to produce concept demonstrators.
According to the UK’s tender documentation, contract awards to the winning bidders are expected in Q3 2026. A Major Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform capacity demonstration event is planned for Q2 2027, followed by a final demonstration in Q1 2028. Initial operational capability is targeted for 2030.
In 2025, Anduril UK announced it had teamed up with the UK’s GKN Aerospace to collaborate on the British Army’s Project NYX and the Ministry of Defence’s Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform programme.
Featured Image: Boeing
