Project Mosquito

Project Mosquito was an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator developed in the United Kingdom by Team Mosquito, a consortium led by Spirit AeroSystems Belfast. The program was initiated in response to the Royal Air Force’s Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA) concept, which the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office began conceptualizing in 2015. The primary objective of the system was to serve as a “loyal wingman,” operating alongside manned fighter aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, and the BAE Systems Tempest. The unmanned platform was designed to provide increased protection, survivability, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to its manned counterparts.

In January 2021, the UK Ministry of Defence awarded Team Mosquito a £30 million contract to design and manufacture a flight demonstrator. The team included Spirit AeroSystems, Northrop Grumman UK, and Intrepid Minds. The design featured low-observable characteristics, including a streamlined fuselage, swept wings, dropped wingtips, a V-tail, and a dorsal air intake. The system was intended to be the UK’s first unmanned platform capable of targeting and shooting down enemy aircraft while surviving against surface-to-air missiles. The consortium planned to utilize new software development techniques and civilian aerospace engineering expertise to achieve full-scale flight trials by the end of 2023.

On 24 June 2022, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the cancellation of Project Mosquito. The ministry stated that more beneficial and cost-effective “additive capabilities” were available, leading to the decision to halt the program after the design phase. Following the cancellation, BAE Systems revealed two new drone concepts at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) air show in July 2022. These concepts, referred to as UAS Concept I and UAS Concept II, were designed to replace the capabilities envisioned for Mosquito. One concept was a stealthy, attritable medium-sized aircraft with air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities, while the other was a small, expendable aircraft intended for electronic warfare and ground attack. BAE Systems Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston, noted that the work on Mosquito had provided significant learning regarding digital design and novel manufacturing techniques, but the focus shifted to systems that could be operationalized more quickly. The program did not proceed to combat testing or field deployment.