Project NYX is focused on building autonomous air systems that can fly with crewed helicopters and take on tasks that are either too risky or too resource-intensive for human pilots alone. These drones are meant to extend what Apache units can see and sense while helping them survive in contested environments.
“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,” said Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, in a release. “Project NYX represents the cutting edge of the Defence Industrial Strategy, working with leading British industry partners to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of autonomous military technology.”
The companies chosen include Anduril, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin UK, Syos, Tekever, and Thales. They have submitted prototypes for Project NYX which are currently in testing. The group will narrow to four suppliers in March 2026.
AI and humans, working together
The drones under Project NYX will support surveillance, target acquisition, strike, and electronic warfare. Rather than being flown directly, they will operate under a “command rather than control” model. Human operators will set mission parameters while the onboard AI handles execution. The goal is to reduce pilot workload while increasing operational tempo and resilience. In short, these wingmen will act as truly autonomous helpers on the battlefield.
This mix includes both established defence primes and newer firms with experience in autonomous systems and uncrewed aircraft. The diversity of the shortlist suggests the Ministry of Defence is deliberately keeping design approaches open rather than locking into a single architecture too early.
Tekever’s success brings Europe into the running
Of particular European interest is Tekever, a Portugal- and UK-based company funded by the NATO Innovation Fund.
“We are extremely pleased to see that Tekever is one of the seven companies down-selected to design and build prototype wingman drones to operate alongside the British Army’s Apache attack helicopters under Project NYX,” said John Ridge, Chief Adoption Officer for NIF. “This is an important next step in the transformation of the UK military to integrate drones in all domains and a huge vote of confidence in Tekever, who continue to prove themselves as one of Europe’s most capable Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) manufacturers.”
“Project NYX represents a modern approach to capability development — bringing together industry and government to rapidly iterate, learn from operational experience, and strengthen the UK’s future defence ecosystem through autonomy, data, and advanced systems integration,” said Tekever in a statement. “At Tekever, we bring proven experience in uncrewed systems, an agile and iterative development model, a strong focus on safety, reliability, and mission effectiveness, and a long-term commitment to UK industrial and technological sovereignty.”
If the programme succeeds, it will offer a glimpse of how future air combat formations may look. Crewed platforms provide human judgements, while autonomous systems provide scale, endurance, and flexibility.
