British Army selects contenders for autonomous helicopter ‘wingmen’

Project NYX has advanced into its development stage with BAE, Leonardo and others invited to design AI-powered support drones for Apaches.

Seven industry partners have been invited to design drones for Project NYX, a UK Defence initiative focused on uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) that will fly alongside Apache helicopters in future combat. The drones will act as ‘loyal wingmen’, supporting operations such as surveillance, strike and electronic warfare while reducing human risk and increasing battlefield agility.

The project advances the Ministry of Defence’s broader strategy of harnessing AI, autonomy and new drone technology to complement conventional armour and artillery. The systems will operate under a ‘command rather than control’ principle, using artificial intelligence to adapt to battlefield situations independently within mission boundaries.

“The drones of the future will make the British Army more effective and lethal,” says Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP. “Project NYX represents the cutting edge of the Defence Industrial Strategy.”

The shortlisted companies are Anduril, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin UK, Syos, Tekever and Thales.