In a strategic move to address the rapidly evolving challenge of drone warfare, defence giant BAE Systems has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Frankenburg Technologies. This partnership unites a global industrial leader with an agile, innovative defence start-up to accelerate the development of affordable, next-generation counter-drone systems.
The collaboration will initially focus on integrating BAE Systems’ extensive warhead expertise with Frankenburg’s low-cost, mass-producible missile platforms. By combining these capabilities, the two companies aim to deliver effective and scalable solutions capable of neutralizing the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial systems on the modern battlefield. Beyond this immediate goal, the partnership will also explore future technologies to ensure a continuous pipeline of innovation in air defence.
Scott Jamieson, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Maritime & Land Defence Solutions business, emphasized the strategic importance of the alliance. “Collaborating with innovative companies like Frankenburg Technologies enables us to accelerate the development of advanced, affordable solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers,” he stated. “By bringing together our proven munitions expertise with Frankenburg’s disruptive missile technology, we’re helping to deliver the next generation of counter drone capability at pace to stay ahead of emerging threats.”
Dan Hallett, Managing Director of Frankenburg Technologies, highlighted the mutual benefits of the collaboration and its significance for the wider UK defence sector. “This partnership marks a powerful step forward for the UK defence ecosystem,” Hallett said. “By bringing together Frankenburg’s agility and rapid innovation with BAE Systems’ scale, industrial depth and global reach, together we’re creating the conditions for new technologies to move from concept to capability far faster. I am proud that this MoU further highlights the UK as a place where SMEs and primes can collaborate to deliver the next generation of sovereign capability.”
This agreement is a prime example of BAE Systems’ broader commitment to leveraging its industrial scale and engineering heritage to support disruptive small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By providing a pathway for cutting-edge concepts to mature rapidly, BAE Systems is helping to foster a dynamic defence ecosystem where novel technologies can be developed, tested, and deployed at the speed required to counter contemporary threats.
