UK to produce Ukrainian-designed interceptor drones

The first project will be a new air-defense interceptor drone called Project OCTOPUS. Its mass production will begin in the United Kingdom, where thousands of such drones are planned to be manufactured each month for delivery to Ukraine.

Effective weapon against drone attacks

Interceptor drones are significantly cheaper than conventional air-defense missiles and have proven effective against Iranian kamikaze drones. They are capable of quickly intercepting enemy drones and missiles, destroying them before they reach their targets.

The new systems will help Ukraine repel attacks similar to Russia’s latest overnight strike on western Ukraine. During that attack, some drones crossed into Polish airspace, and NATO had to deploy air-defense assets, the statement said.

Industrial partnership between London and Kyiv

The agreement is the result of a deepening industrial partnership announced by the UK Prime Minister after meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy this summer. Last week, Defense Secretary John Healey visited Kyiv and signed an extension of cooperation that includes joint development and the exchange of intellectual property.

This is one of Ukraine’s first such agreements with a Western country. It opens up opportunities to expand defense production and transform the military industry into a driver of economic growth.

New defense industry strategy

The UK government announced hundreds of millions of pounds in new investments under the Defense Industry Strategy. Of this, £250 million will go toward new defense sector development contracts, and £182 million will be allocated to training specialists in five new technical colleges.

Defense Secretary John Healey will highlight the importance of the strategy in a speech at the DSEI exhibition in London.

Support for Ukraine and leaders’ statements

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “As Russia continues its egregious and unrelenting attacks on Ukraine, the UK’s support will not falter, and we, alongside our allies, will continue to step up. This new partnership is a landmark moment, bringing together British and Ukrainian ingenuity to deliver cutting-edge defence drone technology to fight back against Russian aggression.”

“By harnessing the strength of our world-class defence industry, we are not only helping Ukraine defend itself against Putin’s barbaric attacks, but we are also creating British jobs, driving growth, and securing our own future,” Starmer added.

In addition, Defense Secretary John Healey emphasized: “Through this groundbreaking industrial partnership with Ukraine, and our new Defence Industrial Strategy, we are revving up our world-leading defence industry. We will innovate at a wartime pace, support UK and Ukrainian security, and boost jobs here in Britain.”

Mass production and new investments

The Project OCTOPUS drone was developed by Ukrainian engineers with support from British specialists. It has already demonstrated high effectiveness against Shahed drones while costing less than 10% of the price of the target it destroys.

This year, the United Kingdom is allocating £4.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine - a record sum. The program to train Ukrainian troops has been extended until 2026.

In March, the Prime Minister announced a £1.6 billion contract to supply over five thousand air-defense missiles to Ukraine, which created 200 new jobs and sustained another 700. London is also investing £350 million in drone production, increasing deliveries to Ukraine to 100,000 in 2025.

At the Ramstein meeting on September 9, UK Defense Secretary John Healey stated that Britain will fund the production of 1,000 long-range drones for Ukraine over the next year.

As previously reported, Ukraine’s largest drone manufacturer, Ukrspecsystems, will build a drone manufacturing plant in the United Kingdom.