British Army experiments with UAV swarming, deploys base C-UAV system
Screengrab from Dstl video depicting the Swarm Capability Test Bed (CTB) being used to control at least seven UAVs during trials. (Dstl)
The British Army has completed at least eight weeks of experimentation with its Swarm Capability Test Bed (CTB) consisting of eight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to a 16 September 2026 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) press release.
The Swarm CTB project combines more than 10 years of Dstl research in AI, autonomy, and swarming technology, according to the release. The Swarm CTB also provides the British Army with a platform to experiment with future swarm concepts.
Swarm testing
Dstl, in partnership with Army HQ and industry, delivered Phase 1 of the Software Defined Swarms Concept Demonstrator, which involved two industry-led options. One option was provided by BlueBear which is Saab's Autonomy Accelerator, which designs, develops, and prototypes autonomous and unmanned capabilities. According to Saab, BlueBear's SwarmCommand platform enables 21 systems to be flown simultaneously. The second option was provided by the Disruptor Group, a consortium of UK companies led by Applied Intuition. The Dstl press release described both as the UK's “first high technology readiness, collective control swarming UAV demonstrations”. No further details on the outcome of the demonstrations were provided in the release.
The Swarm CTB is now in the hands of British Army operators and is a focus for live flying by the Army's Experimentation and Trials Group (ETG).
The underlying technology could also be applicable for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), according to the release.
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