UAS Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC)

The UAS Heavy Lift Capability (UASHLC) is a £95 million framework agreement by the UK Ministry of Defence's Future Capabilities Innovation office to accelerate the development and deployment of heavy-lift uncrewed air systems (UAS), particularly for maritime operations like beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) payload delivery between vessels or to shore. It enables suppliers, such as Skyfly with its eHarrier eVTOL and Phenix with the Ultra 2XL, to bid on contracts and demonstrate capabilities through competitive 'sprints' over a 5-year period, addressing gaps in market-ready platforms for Royal Navy and other domains. The specific £1,225,000 contract falls within this framework's value range of £1.225 million to £95 million, supporting research, technology, and service contracts under a restricted procedure.