MILAN — Mass production of Ukrainian interceptor drones in the United Kingdom is gearing up, as the war-torn country transitions to licensed production of domestically designed weapons in partner countries.
Speaking at a press conference on Oct. 20, British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey said the joint manufacturing project, dubbed Octopus, would begin “within weeks.”
The announcement comes a few days after Ukraine’s government-backed defense technology group Brave1 identified a handful of weapon categories deemed fit for export to Western allies. Over the last few months, Kyiv has explored the possibility of easing its arms transfer ban.
In July, leaders launched a new initiative to authorize allied countries, such as members of the Ramstein group of global backers, to produce Ukrainian systems locally. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that this process will be gradual and will only entail a partial and regulated lift of restrictions limited to weapons in surplus.
According to Healey, the Octopus interceptor, a proven system against Shahed-type attack drones, will become the foundation of the so-called European “drone wall” to deter further Russian aerial threats.
This joint partnership could result in the production rate of around 2,000 units per month, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 10.
“Through Project Octopus, our Ukrainian friends will share the technology and intellectual property with the UK –in turn, we’ll develop this further and mass-produce it to supply thousands of interceptor drones back to Ukraine monthly,” Healey explained earlier.
In September, the privately-owned Ukrainian drone manufacturer Ukrspecsystems announced that it was investing over $267 million in the building of a new factory in Mildenhall, U.K.
The interceptor in question was developed in Ukraine with the support of UK technicians and staff, but reportedly costs less than 10% of the systems it was conceived to target.
Britain is doubling down on its drone capabilities, as Healey also announced the creation of a new U.K. Drone Centre, adding that investments in drone and other autonomous systems would double to total more than £4 billion ($5 billion). The country has committed to spending 10% of its equipment budget on new technologies, starting this year.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
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