UK looks to future-proof warning systems of QEC aircraft carriers

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has launched a preliminary market engagement initiative to explore potential future solutions for the Aircraft Carrier Strike Group airborne early warning (AEW) capability.

A Request for Information (RFI), published on April 9th, 2025, signals the MOD’s intent to sustain and enhance the crucial surveillance system that operates from the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers.

Currently, this AEW system provides the entire Aircraft Carrier Strike Group—encompassing the aircraft carrier, support vessels, escort frigates, and escort destroyers—with vital early warnings against both air and surface threats. This allows for timely and effective counter-threat actions, safeguarding the UK’s defense and security interests, according to the RFI.

The MOD is now looking to the industrial base for innovative ideas and capabilities to underpin this essential function in the future. The RFI does not prescribe specific implementation options, encouraging all interested parties to propose their best possible solutions. The ministry aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the market’s capacity and capability to support this critical requirement.

Interested companies are invited to respond by May 6, 2025.

While the notice includes estimated figures, the MOD explicitly states that procurement dates and values are subject to governance and should not be considered firm commitments at this stage.

The RFI is purely for market research purposes and does not represent the commencement of a new procurement process.

Indicative figures provided in the notice suggest a potential contract value ranging between £500 million and £1.5 billion, with a possible contract start date between May 2026 and May 2027.

The estimated timeframe for the introduction into service of the new capability is between 2030 and 2035. These figures are expected to be refined through ongoing market engagement.

This initial market engagement underscores the UK’s commitment to maintaining a robust and technologically advanced carrier strike capability, ensuring its continued effectiveness in projecting power and safeguarding national security in the years to come, it was concluded.