AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear company, has entered into a teaming agreement with Anduril UK to provide critical safety, assurance and regulatory expertise that will accelerate development and deployment of autonomous aircraft for UK defence programmes.

The teaming agreement positions AtkinsRéalis to support Anduril UK in navigating emerging certification pathways and establishing the assurance standards, including cyber security, essential for trusted autonomous operations.

Autonomous systems represent a transformational opportunity for UK defence and the future of military aviation, reducing risk to personnel and delivering operational advantages in areas such as reconnaissance. The Strategic Defence Review identified autonomous capabilities as critical to modernising Britain’s Armed Forces and maintaining technological edge.

The exclusive collaboration for Anduril UK’s uncrewed flight programmes in UK defence brings together AtkinsRéalis’ significant global experience in novel aerospace platform development and assurance of uncrewed systems with Anduril UK’s advanced autonomous systems and software-defined defence capabilities.

AtkinsRéalis’ deep knowledge of international regulatory requirements will enable Anduril UK to deliver leading sovereign commanded, not controlled, systems. This expertise will support future platforms to operate safely and securely, navigating approvals with the Military Aviation Authority and Civil Aviation Authority, and managing defence lines of development proportionately to enable innovation at pace for British Armed Forces.

Beyond providing safety and assurance expertise, AtkinsRéalis is supporting Anduril UK’s establishment of a UK manufacturing site for the uncrewed platform, leveraging its capabilities in delivering complex infrastructure and industrial facilities. With more than 14,000 employees in the UK and Ireland across over 40 offices – including around 2,000 working on defence-related projects – AtkinsRéalis brings deep domestic expertise to this collaboration. The manufacturing site would support Anduril UK’s investment to provide for the British Armed Forces and enable potential exports to wider Europe, contributing to UK jobs, the economy and the defence industrial base.

David Clark, Vice President – Global Defence at AtkinsRéalis, said: “Autonomous systems have rightly been identified as a priority for defence transformation. Delivering this vision requires proportionate approaches which turn innovative technologies into operationally assured, deployable capabilities. Through this agreement with Anduril UK, we can contribute our decades of defence delivery and sovereign programme expertise to help deliver trusted, deployable autonomous systems that bolster national security.”

Rich Drake, Managing Director of Anduril UK, said: “This collaboration is about how the UK builds and fields modern defence systems, not just a single platform. We’re helping create sovereign autonomous capability that can be delivered faster, alongside our valued partners across the British defence ecosystem. By pairing Anduril’s software-first approach with AtkinsRéalis’ strengths in assurance and regulation, we will ensure that our armed forces stay ahead for the long term.”

The teaming agreement builds on AtkinsRéalis and Anduril UK’s collaboration to explore dual use future flight opportunities, announced last year. Today’s teaming agreement deepens the relationship with an expanded focus on safety assurance and regulatory pathways for autonomous systems in defence.