Ministry of Defence launches tender for low-cost drone and missile interceptor
A new defence procurement seeks to develop and trial low-cost interceptors for drones and missiles, underlining a shift towards affordable protection systems.
A new defence procurement seeks to develop and trial low-cost interceptors for drones and missiles, underlining a shift towards affordable protection systems.
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Cost, capability and the spread of drones are coming together in a new defence competition. The Ministry of Defence has launched Project GOSHAWK Interceptor Development, seeking suppliers to design and trial a low-cost interceptor for drones and missiles that still meets strict technical and security requirements.
Published on 23rd January 2026 as a contract notice, Project GOSHAWK calls for suppliers to develop and trial a new interceptor. The requirement is for a cost-effective, low-cost interceptor optimised for use against both drones and missiles, with concepts to be proven through trials under the contract.
By setting out specific technical and security criteria, the Ministry signals that only organisations able to satisfy defined defence standards will be able to compete. While the notice does not spell out those standards in public, the combination of interceptor development and live trials points to a technically challenging programme.
The wording of the requirement is striking. It places low-cost and cost-effective performance at the heart of an interceptor designed to defeat drones and missiles, not just in supporting roles such as logistics or administration. That mirrors language in recent defence-related procurements, where affordability sits alongside operational performance as an explicit objective.
In December 2025, Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus issued a Travel Management Service contract notice seeking partners able to provide high-quality and cost-effective international and domestic travel management services for defence-related agencies. On 15th December 2025, LEIDOS SUPPLY, LIMITED launched a pilot Supply of Military Clothing procurement for thermal jackets and trousers in Multi Terrain Pattern to explore more resilient sourcing options while maintaining quality and price. Project GOSHAWK takes the same concern with value for money and applies it directly to the core business of air defence.
The GOSHAWK notice also sits within a wider wave of public-sector interest in countering unmanned aircraft. In October 2025, Unitatea Militara 0251 Bucuresti sought two sets of detection, interception and capture devices for unmanned aerial systems in its Supply of Anti-Drone Devices contract, intended to enhance the Romanian Gendarmerie’s ability to protect public spaces and critical infrastructure. In December 2025, Gmina Sosnowiec-miasto posiadające prawa powiatu published a Mobile UAV Detection System tender for a mobile capability to detect and neutralise unmanned aerial vehicles, combining delivery and implementation with defined warranty terms and access protocols for confidential information.
In domestic security and civil applications, drones themselves are now treated as routine tools. The Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall Police used a September 2025 prior information notice, Regional Drone Supply Analysis, to explore the market for drones with various capabilities to enhance the force’s fleet. On 2nd January 2026, Tartu Ülikool went further into specialist use with its Prototype Device for Cormorant Eggs notice, commissioning development and testing of a drone-mounted device to apply oil to cormorant eggs in nests.
Education and skills programmes are also investing in unmanned systems. In December 2025, Natsionalen STEM tsentar released a Drones and Automotive Equipment Delivery contract covering the supply of various drones alongside training equipment for automotive, an electric karting set and an electric car, bundled with warranty support and training for personnel on the delivered equipment.
Against this backdrop, an interceptor aimed at drones and missiles underlines how unmanned systems have shifted from niche experiments to a standard feature of procurement across defence, policing, research and education—and now a prominent target for new layers of air defence.
The GOSHAWK requirement for defined security credentials echoes trends in policing and internal security. In July 2025, The Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime issued an Operational Software Solution Scoping prior information notice for a new operational software solution for biometric intelligence at the Metropolitan Police. Interested suppliers were asked to complete a Non-Disclosure Agreement and confirm appropriate security clearance before engaging with the Request for Information. In August 2025, Ypourgeio Prostasias tou Politi published a Software Packages Procurement notice to equip the Information Center in its Directorate for Organized Crime Response with new software and technical equipment, strengthen networking and information analysis between departments, and deliver training for Greek Police personnel.
Other defence projects show how such security demands sit alongside complex technical roadmaps. The Direction Générale de l’Armement, through its armament procurement service, set out a four-phase plan in an October 2025 Directional Antenna Prototype Development contract, moving from integration studies through prototype production and refinement to ground evaluation tests and support for flight trials. In November 2025, Crown Commercial Service signalled a similar appetite for integrated solutions in its Tactical Communication Systems prior information notice, seeking specialised military-grade tactical communication and information systems for deployment in active battlefield environments, with solution design, implementation and support services wrapped into one framework.
Support functions remain critical in this landscape. The Dutch Ministerie van Defensie used a September 2025 Supply of Measuring Instruments contract to equip its Maritime Logistics department with tools for operational and logistical tasks via an electronic procurement platform. Defence Equipment and Support followed in October 2025 with a Mechanical Engineering Support Contract for mechanical engineers to maintain aircraft ground equipment for Typhoon jet engines at RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth. Project GOSHAWK sits alongside these programmes as another technically demanding, security-sensitive initiative, but with a direct focus on intercepting aerial threats.
For now, Project GOSHAWK is framed around developing and trialling a low-cost interceptor concept that can satisfy the Ministry of Defence’s technical and security criteria. The outcome will show how far suppliers can reduce the cost of intercepting drones and missiles while still meeting the demands of operational defence.
Procurement watchers will be looking for follow-on notices that indicate how trial systems perform and whether they lead to further testing or wider adoption. Alongside recent anti-drone projects for the Romanian Gendarmerie and for Gmina Sosnowiec-miasto posiadające prawa powiatu, and the spread of drones across policing, research and education, the GOSHAWK contract suggests that more public-sector buyers may soon be exploring their own mix of drone technology and counter-drone defences.
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