Long Reach UAV - RFI

Long reach Inter-theatre lift UAV - Request for information (RFI) A potential capability gap has been identified within Defence for a long-range Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV). Consequently the Authority is seeking to engage with industry to establish what technologies are currently available in the market to potentially fulfil this requirement. The purpose of this RFI is to gather information about current market offerings for the provision of long reach, inter-theatre lift UAV, capable of carrying a minimum 50kg payload over a range of at least 300 nautical miles with as a minimum, a waypoint-based level of Autonomy. The aircraft must be able to fly First Person View [FPV] with a minimum 50km LOS comms & AES 256 encryption and with an assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) data source. The platform would also require the ability deliver a payload whilst in flight mode. If your company would be interested in potentially bidding for this requirement, please provide responses to the following questions: 1. What is the aircraft's maximum payload weight? 2. What is the aircraft's maximum range (in distance) without refuelling/recharging? 3. What type of autonomy is incorporated into your system? (E.g., Waypoint based/Task based). 4. Is the aircraft able to fly in GPS denied environments? (E.g., ability to fly FPV / using SLAM or similar capability via waypoints). 5. What type of command-and-control functionality does the system operate? (E.g., 50km LOS comms & AES 256 encryption / 100km LOS, plus SATCOM). 6. What is the in-flight payload delivery mechanism? (E.g., basic flight drop / ability to safely release and delivery a payload such as via parachute or similar) 7. What is the Payload Delivery Accuracy from altitude of c120m? [E.g., Within circle of 50m diameter / Within circle of 25m diameter 8. Does the aircraft have an assured PNT data source? 9. What type of fuel/energy does you aircraft use? 10. Does the system have collision avoidance capabilities? If so, what are they? (E.g., Organic (to platform) Sense to Avoid capability / integration capability into recognised air picture) 11. What Categorisation / clearances, if any, does your aircraft have? (E.g., CAA / EASA / national civil clearances / UK / NATO country military categorisations in place / in process)

Please note that this is a Request For Information only and is not a request to submit tenders and nor is there any guarantee that tenders will be invited for this requirement.