The Anglo-Ukine agreement for the cheapest and rapid production of unmanned aircraft was born at the London Defense Exhibition. Increasingly important sector in which Leonardo is also there with the Proteus project
The news that the United Kingdom will expand the technology of interceptors developed and tested in action by Ukraine will expand from the Dsei Defense Show exhibition. The idea is to be able to produce and deliver thousands of drones every month to the armed forces of countries defined allies but also at the outside of NATO.
The agreement follows the announcement of this month by the Droni manufacturer Ukrspec-Systems To invest 200 million pounds in two production plants in the United Kingdom, the first large investment of a Ukrainian defense company in the country.
The secretary of defense declared it John Healey visiting the English event, referring to the Ukrainian project Octopus And explaining that Kiev will share the intellectual property relating to an interceptor drone that has proven highly effective against the attack drones Shad launched by the Russians, following an agreement signed with its Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal.
Low -cost interceptors drones
In return, the United Kingdom will develop further and will produce the drones in series which, according to Healey, cost less than 10% of the Russian systems that destroy. Thus began the development of the development of economically more advantageous countermeasures.
Although healey did not provide details on the cost of the interceptor drone, the Center for Strategic and International Studies It has estimated the cost of a shahed between $ 10,000 and $ 35,000 depending on the useful load installed, a figure that is used as a reference not to be exceeded in the new production.
Healey explained: “Our Ukrainian friends will share this technology and intellectual property with the United Kingdom; in turn, together we will develop it quickly and then we will produce it in series, providing thousands of interceptors to Ukraine every month”.
Innovation shared between Ukraine and United Kingdom
This agreement allows the United Kingdom access to what Haaley has defined cutting -edge technologies and in the speed of innovation that Ukraine had to develop from February 2022, also converting into armed drones products born for light and sporting aviation, of which she was an exporter.
In the skies of Russia and Ukraine, light aircraft have also been seen like i Flight-Design CT they Aeroprakt A-22 transformed into remote control vehicles. In return, London will be able to provide innovative production systems and products and services for robotics.
The challenge is to demonstrate that the United Kingdom can add value to what Haaley has called a system of innovation and production of excellence.
The secretary concluded the press conference at DSEI saying: “There is very potential, but the challenge is now being able to keep the promise made to the Ukrainians; if in the coming months we will be able to do it, we will start seeing Great Britain to make an even more significant contribution to our defense and the medium -term perspectives, as well as to accelerate and equip our forces of what is necessary for the future”.
The Unmanned sector in Italy
The military sector Unmanned – so it is called that of the drones – it is also among the most active in Italy: Leonardo Helicopters In fact, it plans to make its pilot -free technological demonstrator fly for the first time Proteus in the near future.
Nigel Colman, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters Uk, said: “The prototype is completely built; the fuel tanks have been installed and we are completing the installation of the engine. In the coming weeks we will carry out the ground tests needed to be able to do the flight tests later. The test program will probably take us to the Christmas period; we do not know how the future of the project will be, at the moment we are consulting with our partners, but if you look at what the Royal Navy is proposing, It deals with a transition to the aviation without crew, and this is what we are pushing with all our strength..
The Proteus demonstrator
Based on the model cell AW09 (Ex Marenco Swisscopter, then Kopter), the demonstrator is being developed in support of a demonstration activity worth 81 million dollars for the British Royal Navy.
Initially the program will focus on the configuration necessary for anti -Sommergible operations, with the aircraft intended for the deployment of sound buoys, as reported Flight Global.
It is no coincidence that at the London DSEI a natural -size model of the Proteus was exposed. The project aims to develop a hybrid model of the embarked air flock that combines structures with and without crew for activities that also include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, research and rescue.
