UK Project PANOPTES Counter-UAS

Project PANOPTES is a UK Defence Innovation competition run on behalf of the Ministry of Defence to develop an integrated, autonomous counter-UAS force-protection capability mounted on an Army vehicle, with later integration onto an uncrewed ground vehicle. The MoD is particularly interested in laser directed energy weapon effectors against Class 1 UAS but accepts alternatives. Phase 1 offers a share of up to GBP 5 million for multiple contracts, with stage 2 proposals due in November 2026 and contracts expected to start in February 2027, as a first step towards a future Programme of Record.