More than 100 specialist jobs are set to be created in Wiltshire after defence firm STARK UK opened a new manufacturing site in Swindon as part of the UK’s push to strengthen domestic drone production.
The 40,000 sq ft facility, formally opened by Minister for the Armed Forces Al Carns MP, is the company’s first production site outside Germany and will begin building a range of AI-enabled uncrewed systems in the coming months.
The investment supports the government’s Strategic Defence Review, which set out a commitment to increase sovereign manufacturing of drones and loitering munitions. One of the systems due to be produced in Swindon, the Virtus loitering munition, has already been used operationally in Ukraine and can be assembled in around 10 minutes.
Strengthening UK-Germany defence cooperation
The new site reflects growing industrial collaboration between the UK and Germany under the Trinity House Agreement. The two nations are working together on next-generation battlefield technologies, including autonomous systems and long-range strike capabilities.
Mr Carns said the facility demonstrated progress on commitments made in the Strategic Defence Review, adding: “This site will strengthen supply chains, accelerate innovation and give the UK and our allies the edge to stay ahead of our adversaries.”
Expanding the UK’s drone-manufacturing capacity
The factory is expected to be operational by 2026 and will produce thousands of drones equipped with UK and European-made warheads. STARK says its systems are capable of destroying heavily armoured vehicles and can be produced at significantly lower cost than traditional munitions.
STARK UK managing director Mike Armstrong said Swindon’s manufacturing heritage and proximity to Army HQ and Air Command made it an “ideal location” for the company’s first UK site. He said the facility would strengthen European supply chains and support the UK’s shift towards scalable autonomous systems.
National Armaments Director Rupert Pearce said the investment showed how the Trinity House Agreement was helping to build sovereign capability while supporting economic growth.
The opening comes as government spending on defence industries reached £31.7 billion last year, a real-terms increase of 6%, and follows the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy, which aims to further develop the sector as an engine of UK jobs and innovation.
