A Ukrainian drone manufacturer has officially opened its first UK production facility in an expansion of defence industrial cooperation between London and Kyiv.
Ukrspecsystems, described as Ukraine’s largest drone manufacturer, opened the factory in Mildenhall, Suffolk, on 25 February. The site was formally opened by Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, alongside General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The company said the opening represents a major milestone in its £200 million UK investment and its commitment to creating hundreds of skilled jobs across the East of England. Guests included Ukrainian soldiers currently training in the UK, representatives from the British Army and Ministry of Defence, and local business and education leaders.
Ukrspecsystems’ UK Managing Director, Rory Chamberlain, said the move would strengthen resilience in supply and production.
“Four years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this factory delivers what matters: secure supply, secure resource, and sustained support for Ukraine. By establishing production in the UK, Ukrspecsystems are increasing the resilience of the UK’s defence industrial base, and providing a trusted supply chain that ensures that the drones relied upon by the Ukrainian Armed Forces can be built and scaled without interruption.”
He added: “Delivered with UK and Ukrainian Government support and in partnership with British SMEs, this is ‘Made with Ukraine’ in action – embodying the UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership through real industrial capability, happening now in East Anglia.”
Pollard described the investment as a signal of confidence in the UK.
“Our resolve to support Ukraine is stronger than ever, and we are backing Ukraine’s defiant Armed Forces as they fight for peace.”
He continued: “Ukrspecsystems’ new factory is a vote of confidence in UK support and underlines the deepening cooperation between our nations’ defence industries. This investment will create up to 500 new jobs in the East of England, drive defence as an engine for growth, and help Ukraine defend itself against Putin’s aggression.”
General Zaluzhnyi framed the project as part of a broader security relationship.
“This factory represents more than industrial cooperation – it is part of a new European security architecture built on shared responsibility and shared production. Ukraine brings battlefield experience and innovation, and together with the United Kingdom we are strengthening the capabilities needed to deter aggression.”
According to the company, drones to be manufactured at Mildenhall will include the PD-2, Shark and Mini-Shark systems. A component and ancillary business, along with elements of research and development, will also operate from the site.
Production at Mildenhall, alongside a testing and training facility at Elmsett, is expected to create up to 500 jobs directly and across the supply chain. Roles will include technical, logistics and administrative positions, supported by an apprenticeship programme.
The opening coincides with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
I like the paint scheme on the drone in the header image 👌
Needs Victory Stripes.
Yes very old school, clearly no coincidence harking back to the BoB scheme, someone has an excellent pr background and how to create emotional connections.
‘Victory stripes’ presumably refers to D-Day identification markings?
Well more like “Invasion Stripes” which later Identified with Victory, so “Victory Stripes” in Ukraine’s own style, maybe with a reversed Z ?
Hopefully there is a comprehensive security plan and suitable perimeter that doesn’t include a sole sleepy G4S patrol. Sabotage by unfriendly forces would be a PR coup for them, and with porous borders means they could be targeted as the pro pal terrorists have shown.
Interesting locatiin choice.
Well It’s a noisey place anyway so why not !!!
Presumably coincidental to the base, the testing being done elsewhere.
Elmsett, apparently, with Wattisham in support.
Well its a good advert for Ivan or his hired thugs eh? Not only location but a description of what it does. See Pollard politiking, total disregard for any opsec. You might as well have a blimp hovering over it with the company name saying “its here”.
I do wonder why these sites are not held In total secrecy but In this day and age, It wouldn’t be that difficult to find any site.
There is not even a half arsed effort to hide the fact its there. Hope its got a good sprinkler system lol!
I wonder if it is within the secure perimeter of RAF Mildenhall? I doubt it as commercial factories aren’t usually sited on MoD land.
The base is mostly American anyway, so one would think not.
Oh it is difficult, believe me. It depends who you’re looking for.
I make a hobby of that sort of thing.
This, maybe not so much, if the idiots highlight it.
To be fair they will have to advertise for a work force. Even if they were circumspect about job descriptions in wouldn’t take the likes of the GRU long to work out what the hell was going on as there would be other indicators such as money, technical data and possibly initially at least equipment and parts transfers, plus satellite imagery. Then there is the supply chain with hundreds of people involved. As such there is probably zero chance of keeping it secret these days.
It is likely that the biggest problems would be inflicted on the home side trying to get the business off the ground. So might well be a pragmatic approach to simply go for it and put an effective security screen around the site – which is where it might all fall down, of course.
Cheers CR
Agreed, the reality is that secrecy around a site like this is impossible nowadays. The real focus should be on strong physical security, cyber defence, and insider threat mitigation.
I know it’s for pr, but thar paint scheme.
Certainly gets one all emotional just glimpsing it. Didn’t last very long in reality but certainly becomes instantly identifiable.
Possibly in the industrial estate next door. Lots of units in place already.
The MDP are also present at Mildenhall.
Sorry, that was meant to be in reply to Graham further up.
Good point about MDP.
Sorry but that doesn’t exactly instill confidence does it?
Doesn’t it, mate?
If you mean the MDP, it depends on the location. They’ve been cut like everything else, but some sites are extremely secure.
Are MDP going to be allowed to secure a civilian site?(they should be).
Let’s face it the only way ANY defence related site is going to be even remotely secure is sky high security fencing and dare I say it armed guards which is never going to happen in this ‘safe’ cushy world we live in!
Whatever is at Elmsett should be bought inside the wire at Wattisham but the yanks with their current policy towards Ukraine are not going to do that at Mildenhall.
Hi mate.
“Are MDP going to be allowed to secure a civilian site?(they should be).”
They do with some, yes, though I grant you security at some of those will be high due to their nature, and might be very different to here.
BAES Barrow. RR Raynesway. GCHQ. There were I think 4 CNI Gas Terminals that MDP guarded until last year as well, and the Royal Mint some years before that.
I wonder what the arrangement is at Sheffield FM and the site at N Aycliffe, civil sites now owned by the MoD?
“Let’s face it the only way ANY defence related site is going to be even remotely secure is sky high security fencing and dare I say it armed guards which is never going to happen in this ‘safe’ cushy world we live in!”
I agree mate, but there are always exceptions. We don’t know the arrangements yet, or even which building.
Fencing. Wire. Cameras. Second inner fence with dead zone in between that is properly lit and patrolled, including MWD. Motions sensors on the fence, even an electrified one.
We have places with all of or many of those. A civilian factory…..no.
But I agree with John, at least an attempt at being low key would be better than headlines so a minister can say how wonderful HMG are at standing with Ukraine.
“Whatever is at Elmsett should be bought inside the wire at Wattisham”
Testing the kit I think, but that might effect air movements at Wattisham?
At the end of the day, it may just be that I naively have more faith in the MDP to do a job than you or others, if they are involved in this.
You are NI I think mate? You don’t have MDP there, but the NISGS!
Guess what mate? They have guns😀👍
I know mate. So do the GDP, and the SBAP carry too, but not so much I believe.
Rant a day today😂
🤪🤯👍
Apropos of nothing important, but I grew up in Elmsett. It’s a lovely quiet, remote Suffolk village and I cant tell you how surreal it is that it is now part of the global conflict against mad Vlad!
Shark, Shark-M, Mini Shark, the multi-purpose PD-2 UAV, as well as the Gekata ELINT module
About 200 a month🤔
Battle-proven designs
I’m so glad we are hosting a Ukrainian company
And another British-Ukrainian company Trypillian, is going to produce drones VORON-10, a strike quadcopter, and the longer range BOMBER-15