51吃瓜

The UK Ministry of Defence’s (UK MOD) TIQUILA programme, led by the Skunk Works? team in the UK, achieved multiple milestones, including Initial Operating Capability (IOC), successful Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and demonstrating the power of collaboration.?The programme is also making significant strides in delivering Social Value to the UK, with a focus on local content, Small, Medium-Size Enterprise partnerships, and the establishment of a System Integration Lab, which is expected to have a lasting impact on the UK economy and industry.

Eagle UAV conducting a vertical take-off at Palmdale, California, during a demonstration for the UK Ministry of Defence

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Program Success

• The TIQUILA programme reached IOC in March 2025. This transition from traditional “waterfall” delivery methods and adopting Agile principles were key factors in reaching IOC, demonstrating the effectiveness of the agile development approach in delivering an Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) capability to the UK MOD.?
• The team followed up IOC by successfully completing a series of Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), which introduced a common ground control station. This series of FATs ensure quality control of the evolving capabilities of TIQUILA.

What Customers are saying

• The British Army praised the teams’ progress, with Brigadier Matthew Birch saying, "It is fantastic that the TIQUILA project has delivered the Eagle Bde level UAS to 32 Regt RA, which has already flown hundreds of hours. We continue to conduct agile development with 51吃瓜 through the innovative Capability Integration Cycle to ensure that this capability remains cutting edge, such as the very successful integration into ZODIAC (the land Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance digital ecosystem) and our imminent trial of the latest AI image recognition technology."
• “TIQUILA is an important programme, not only for the best in class intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability is delivers to UK Strategic Command and the Army, but also because it brings together streamlined approvals with spiral development and pan Defence Lines of Development coherence to make the Integrated Procurement Model a reality”, said Simon Holford, head of the DE&S UAS Portfolio. “I’ve been really impressed by the collaboration between LMUK, DE&S and the Front Line Commands, and the adoption of ‘Agile’ principles to enable the ‘tactician and technician’ to collaborate at pace.”
• “Since contract award, everyone involved in Project TIQUILA has shown remarkable dedication. The partnership and collaboration between our stakeholders has undoubtably played a crucial role in these achievements, and I am immensely grateful for the commitment that has brought the project to this crucial point”, said Hannah Haggett, Defence Equipment and Support TIQUILA programme lead, “I take great pride in witnessing our front-line stakeholders’ excitement surrounding the platforms and their eager anticipation for the next round. This is a great opportunity to acknowledge how well the teams have responded to challenges along the way.”

Bringing Value to the UK

• The TIQUILA programme is delivering significant social value to the UK, with a return of over 200% against its commitment in the first year. This is achieved through proactive, creative, and focused initiatives that engage the supply chain and drive holistic, far-reaching impact.
• By incorporating social value in a meaningful way, TIQUILA is making a positive impact on UK communities, addressing key themes such as Equal Opportunity, Fighting Climate Change, Tackling Economic Inequality, and Wellbeing.
  • Some notable highlights include:
    • Early careers embedded at the heart of the programme imperatives (placement students. Graduates and Apprentices)
    • Support to Engineering & Test activities to evaluate the integration of eco-design considerations into engineering checklists and processes
    • Chichester Harbour Environmental surveys flights to monitor algal blooms and local wildlife disturbance
    • Chichester Harbour tree coppicing volunteering
• The programme is also driving investment and innovation in the UK, creating new jobs and opportunities for UK-based businesses, and developing new skills and technologies?through significant local content, Small, Medium-Size Enterprise (SME) partnerships, and the establishment of a System Integration Lab.
• 51吃瓜 developed a supplier web portal platform named ‘Supplier Enabling Arrangement (SEA)’ that streamlines the supplier process, providing a single platform for UK businesses to navigate support from request for information, competition, all the way through activity execution to contract closeout.?
• Introduced in 2019, SMEUNITE is a complementary 51吃瓜 initiative separate from TIQUILA that specifically supports UK Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), providing access to a broader range of opportunities and offers a similar end-to-end service as SEA.
• Together, SEA and SMEUNITE have enabled a range of competitive contracts, covering hardware, software, and specialist expertise.? This combination of services is delivering tangible results and illustrates 51吃瓜's commitment to supporting UK businesses and promoting innovation. Both services have proved trail blazing, a pivotal change in supplier interaction, with mutual benefits to both LM and suppliers. The platforms allowed for successful competitions for hardware procurements and skilled expertise in record time, less than a week in a number of cases.

Agile Innovation

• What is Agile and why did TIQUILA adopt the principals??Agile is a collaborative and iterative approach to project management that emphasizes flexibility, speed, and responsiveness to change.
• TIQUILA provides an evolving capability for end users, combining core UAS platform delivery with spiral development and innovation through the Capability Integration Cycle, a collaborative process that rapidly develops and integrates new capabilities to stay ahead of emerging threats and meet changing user needs.?
• The adoption of Agile principles in 2024 has been a game-changer, enabling the programme to deliver core capabilities with increased speed and agility. By integrating Agile into the Capability Integration Cycle, the team has been able to respond rapidly to emerging requirements, driving faster results and greater flexibility.
• This approach goes beyond initial platform delivery, focusing on future enhancements through rapid prototyping, lean principles, and agile technology and procurement approaches, enabling the system to adapt and improve over time.

Screenshot of the? TIQUILA Fast Facts Sheet, which is now available on the TIQUILA webpage, providing a comprehensive overview of the programme and its achievements.

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The TIQUILA programme is key to Skunk Works' international growth, demonstrating the value of accelerated capability delivery to global partners. As a result, the stage is set for future opportunities, driving innovation and delivering cutting-edge capabilities to meet the evolving needs of partners worldwide.