Uncrewed Systems: Manufacturing Industries
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence's press release entitled Europe's largest drone testing centre opens in Swindon to boost defence innovation, published on 12 June 2026, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the United Kingdom currently possesses sovereign drone manufacturing capability.
Answered by Luke Pollard
The UK has a thriving ecosystem of manufacturers contributing to uncrewed capability, from component level manufacturers and Small and Medium Enterprises through to prime manufacturers.
The Defence Investment Plan sets out a growing level of investment in autonomy and uncrewed systems. We expect this increased spending to drive further growth across the defence industrial base, strengthening sovereign supply chains and expanding manufacturing capacity.
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