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Early Warning Systems: Unmanned Air Systems

Asked by Ben Obese-JectyConservativeMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 19 May 2025UIN 51564

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the feasibility of the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Air Force, using uncrewed remotely piloted aircraft systems to provide airborne early warning.

Answered by Maria Eagle

The Ministry of Defence is actively assessing the potential of uncrewed remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to support airborne early warning (AEW) roles across the air environment.

These assessments are part of broader efforts to modernise UK defence capabilities through the integration of autonomous systems. While current RPAS platforms are predominantly used for land and maritime surveillance tasks, future developments may enable their use in AEW missions.

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