The UK Ministry of Defense has formally terminated plans to acquire an unmanned surface vessel under Project Lily.
According to a report from UK Defence Journala notice of termination published on February 3, 2026 by Defence Equipment and Support confirms that the contract will not be signed and that the acquisition is no longer in progress.
The decision not to proceed was made on January 16, 2026, according to the notice. According to the British outlet, Project Lily had been announced in a procurement notice issued in May 2025 under the Procurement Act 2023.
The notice had established plans to acquire a single unmanned commercial surface vessel, along with a dedicated Remote Operations Center, to support year-round operations in open ocean environments.
Initial documentation indicated that the vessel would initially operate under a government-owned and commercially operated model for two years, before transitioning to government-owned, government-operated status with ongoing commercial support.
+ Couple buys school bus for US$5,000 to transform it into a complete motorhome
The estimated value of the program was £27.3 million (approximately US$37.46 million), including VAT, with a planned contract duration of four years, from January 2026 to January 2030.
The acquisition was intended to support military data collection tasks, with a particular focus on hydrographic and oceanographic activity, and was framed as part of a broader effort to explore unmanned systems for tasks critical to underwater awareness and maritime operations.
No explanation other than “the acquisition is no longer in progress” is provided in the termination notice. The Ministry of Defense has also not established whether elements of the requirement can be revisited in a revised form or folded into other programs.
For now, what we know is that the cancellation of the project removes one of the most clearly defined near-term opportunities for an unmanned surface vessel capability operated by the UK Ministry of Defense.
Photo: Royal Navy. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
