Tekever to open major UK drone factory
The Tekever AR5 was showcased at the DSEI 2025 defence exhibition in London, ahead of an announcement from UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey on the building of a major drone production facility in Swindon. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
Tekever is to open in the United Kingdom a major factory for the manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the country's secretary of state for defence announced on 15 September.
The facility in the English town of Swindon will be geared at boosting sovereign production of UAVs and will be opened in 2026, Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said during a site visit to mark the announcement.
“Tekever's expansion will bring high-skilled jobs and world-leading drone manufacturing to Swindon, while strengthening defence supply chains,” Healey said. He added, “The [23,597 m2] site will support the full drone production life cycle – from rapid prototyping to manufacturing and research and development. … This builds upon the acquisition of West Wales Airport and marks a critical next step in the delivery of Tekever's Strategic Investment Programme Overmatch that is designed to transform UK's defence capabilities by accelerating innovation in AI [artificial intelligence] and autonomy.”
As noted by Healey, the plant, which will employ approximately 1,000 people over the next five years, will bring core production of the AR5 unmanned aircraft system to the UK for the first time, while scaling up existing work on the AR3 platform.
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