AtkinsRéalis has signed a teaming agreement with Anduril UK to accelerate the development, certification and deployment of sovereign autonomous aircraft for UK defence programmes.
The collaboration combines AtkinsRéalis’ regulatory, safety and assurance expertise with Anduril UK’s advanced autonomous and software-defined defence technologies to fast-track trusted uncrewed systems for the British Armed Forces.
Supporting Certification and Assurance Pathways
Under the AtkinsRéalis Anduril UK autonomous systems agreement, AtkinsRéalis will provide:
- Safety and airworthiness assurance
- Cybersecurity expertise
- Regulatory navigation support
- Development of certification pathways
This includes working with the Military Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority to establish proportionate approval frameworks for emerging autonomous aircraft platforms.
The goal is to ensure autonomous systems operate safely, securely and with full sovereign command capability — described as “commanded, not controlled” systems.
Aligning with UK Defence Modernisation
Autonomous capabilities have been identified as central to the UK’s defence transformation strategy. The Strategic Defence Review highlights uncrewed systems as critical to reducing risk to personnel while enhancing operational advantages in areas such as reconnaissance and contested environments.
The agreement positions AtkinsRéalis as the exclusive safety and assurance partner for Anduril UK’s uncrewed flight programmes in UK defence.
Industrial and Manufacturing Expansion
Beyond regulatory support, AtkinsRéalis will assist Anduril UK in establishing a domestic manufacturing site for its uncrewed platform.
With more than 14,000 employees across the UK and Ireland — including around 2,000 working on defence projects — AtkinsRéalis brings infrastructure delivery and industrial facility expertise to support:
- High-value manufacturing capability
- UK job creation
- Export potential across Europe
- Strengthening of the domestic defence industrial base
Anduril UK has also partnered with GKN Aerospace for airframe manufacturing and electrical integration, alongside British suppliers including Atom Performance Technologies, Flarebright, Olsen Actuators and Isembard.
Building Trusted Autonomous Capability
David Clark, Vice President – Global Defence at AtkinsRéalis, stated that delivering assured autonomous systems requires proportionate regulatory approaches that translate innovation into operational capability.
Rich Drake, Managing Director of Anduril UK, emphasized that the collaboration supports a broader vision of building and fielding modern, sovereign defence systems at pace.
Strengthening the UK Defence Ecosystem
The AtkinsRéalis Anduril UK autonomous systems teaming agreement builds on prior collaboration exploring dual-use future flight opportunities. It deepens the relationship with a focused commitment to safety assurance, regulatory pathways and scalable deployment of AI-enabled defence systems.
Together, the companies aim to accelerate trusted autonomous capability for the British Armed Forces while reinforcing the UK’s position as a leader in sovereign defence innovation.
