Why plans for a new Royal Navy survey ship were 'cancelled' - MoD terminates project for 'alternative options'
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Alternative options for a new Royal Navy survey ship are being explored after an initial project was “terminated”.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed last week that the programme to procure an un-crewed surface vessel for surveying missions was cancelled. Plans were in place to supply a contractor-supported autonomous platform for “global operations”.
Codenamed Project Lily, an initial pipeline notice was issued in May 2025 which set out plans to acquire a commercial vessel that was considered “off-the-shelf”. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge asked in a parliamentary written question why Project Lily was shelved, what plans are there to replace the project, and if a new competition would be started.
Minister for defence readiness and industry, Luke Pollard, said: “Project Lily related to a proposed procurement to deliver an uncrewed surface vessel and associated remote operations centre capability. It was cancelled following a decision to consider alternative internal options to meet this requirement.
“The decision on whether to pursue a replacement competition or an alternative approach is under consideration in line with procurement rules. Should any future procurement be required, details of the opportunity will be published in the usual way via the Defence Sourcing Portal.”
Project Lily’s estimated value was given as £27.3m, with a four-year contract duration from January 2026 to 2030. The ship was intended to support military data-gathering tasks, with a focus on hydrographic and oceanographic surveying.
Larger vessels which undertook similar duties for the Royal Navy include HMS Enterprise, which was decommissioned in Portsmouth in March 2023. A deal to sell her to Bangladesh has been confirmed.
Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to the nation, said: “The sale of this survey vessel reflects the deep trust and strong cooperation between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh. HMS Enterprise served the Royal Navy with distinction, and we are proud to see her begin a new chapter supporting Bangladesh’s maritime capability and our shared commitment to a secure and prosperous Bay of Bengal.”
Her sister ship, HMS Echo, was retired in June 2022. Both ships served in the fleet for over 20 years and were deployed across the globe. Missions were undertaken in the Gulf, Caribbean, and elsewhere.