The Ministry of Defence has awarded £3.16 million to three suppliers to develop new low‑cost interceptors designed to shoot down drones and other airborne threats. The UK is the first of five European partner nations to award contracts under a joint programme to strengthen air defence.
These interceptors are designed to provide a more affordable way to counter drones. This is increasingly important as countries begin to use large numbers of cheap, mass-produced drones that can overwhelm traditional air defence systems, which are more expensive and slower to produce. In March 2026, Russia launched the equivalent of more than 200 drones per day into Ukraine, highlighting the scale of the challenge, News Cover reports, citing the UK government's official website.
The programme, called Low‑Cost Air Defence Effectors (LCADE), is being delivered by the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group as part of a wider European effort known as Low‑Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms (LEAP).
LEAP brings together five countries – the UK, Poland, France, Italy and Germany – to develop affordable effectors and autonomous systems. Each country is running its own national competition, to be followed by a multilateral phase, with the aim of stimulating growth across the European defence industry, enhancing collaboration and delivering solutions to our nations’ warfighters.
The programme supports the NAD Group’s mission to strengthen the UK’s defence capabilities by working closely with industry, speeding up innovation and delivering equipment faster. It also supports jobs and manufacturing in the UK, while working with international partners to develop solutions that can be produced at scale and used by allied forces.
The three successful companies are Frankenberg Technologies, Greenjets and Cambridge Aerospace, who will now develop and trial their designs. All are small or medium‑sized businesses. Cambridge Aerospace has only recently been identified to the Ministry of Defence, demonstrating the value of widening access to new market entrants. Each has a UK presence and has committed to building manufacturing capability in the UK, helping to support jobs across all SMEs and contribute to regional economic growth.
