The centre is intended to help Britain’s Armed Forces keep pace with rapidly changing drone technology. The MOD said lessons from the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran show that uncrewed systems are reshaping warfare.
The ministry said Ukraine uses roughly 200,000 drones a month. It also said 700 drones were launched per day at the height of the conflict in Iran.
The Uncrewed Systems Centre will act as the UK’s focal point for developing and testing the latest drone technology. It will also support collaboration with industry, allies and partners.
DroneTEX covers 545,000 square feet, which the MOD said is the size of more than 10 football pitches. The facility is intended to help develop and field new capabilities in weeks rather than years.
“The character of warfare is changing, and it is changing fast,” Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MP said at the opening. “From Ukraine to the Middle East, we are seeing right now how uncrewed systems are rapidly evolving and reshaping conflicts – on land, in the air and at sea.”
“Our new DroneTEX facility at the heart of our Uncrewed Systems Centre is Europe’s largest drone test and development facility, and will help us ensure the UK embraces technologies that are redefining warfare,” Jarvis said. “Where once new technology could take years from inception to reaching our Armed Forces, we will now be able to develop and field new tech in a matter of weeks – because in this new era, those who innovate fastest will win.”
“This state-of-the-art centre will work with British companies, supporting SMEs, unlocking exports and creating high-skilled jobs,” Jarvis said. The MOD said the centre will also harness data and digital integration as the UK expands its use of artificial intelligence and autonomy.
The work will include links to Task Force RAID, or Rapid AI Delivery. The task force was announced earlier this week by the Prime Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff.
The Strategic Defence Review announced an additional £2 billion for autonomy investment in this parliament. The MOD said this will take total defence investment in autonomous systems to £4 billion.
Since July 2024, the MOD has spent more than £450 million on uncrewed systems. This includes £300 million on research and development.
In the last year, UK Defence Innovation has provided more than £142 million in rapid investment to scale up drone and anti-drone weapon production. UKDI is the focal point for innovation within the Ministry of Defence.
UKDI is backed by a ringfenced annual budget of at least £400 million. The MOD said this enables UK companies to scale up innovative prototypes rapidly.
