The UK Ministry of Defence has opened Europe’s largest drone testing facility in Swindon. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MP unveiled the Uncrewed Systems Centre at DroneTEX, a 545,000 square-foot complex. Citing lessons from Ukraine, where 200,000 drones are deployed monthly, and Iran, where 700 were launched daily at peak conflict, Jarvis said the centre will compress development timelines from years to weeks. Backed by £4 billion in total autonomous systems investment, including £450 million spent since July 2024, the facility will collaborate with industry, support SMEs, and integrate artificial intelligence and autonomy capabilities.
In-Depth:
The UK Ministest of Defence has opened Europe’s largest drone testing centre in Swindon to support defence innovation. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MP opened the Uncrewed Systems Centre, based at the new DroneTEX facility.
The centre is intfinished to assist Britain’s Armed Forces keep pace with rapidly modifying drone technology. The MOD declared lessons from the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran display that uncrewed systems are reshaping warfare.
The ministest declared Ukraine utilizes roughly 200,000 drones a month. It also declared 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 industest, allies and partners.
DroneTEX covers 545,000 square feet, which the MOD declared is the size of more than 10 football pitches. The facility is intfinished to assist develop and field new capabilities in weeks rather than years.
“The character of warfare is modifying, and it is modifying quick,” Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MP declared 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 assist us ensure the UK embraces technologies that are redefining warfare,” Jarvis declared. “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 – becautilize in this new era, those who innovate quickest will win.”
“This state-of-the-art centre will work with British companies, supporting SMEs, unlocking exports and creating high-skilled jobs,” Jarvis declared. The MOD declared the centre will also harness data and digital integration as the UK expands its utilize of artificial ininformigence and autonomy.
The work will include links to Tinquire Force RAID, or Rapid AI Delivery. The tinquire 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 declared 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 Ministest of Defence.
UKDI is backed by a ringfenced annual budobtain of at least £400 million. The MOD declared this enables UK companies to scale up innovative prototypes rapidly.
