An American company renowned for its expertise in developing reconnaissance drones and loitering munitions is set to establish operations in the United Kingdom.

According to The i Paper, which cited sources within the defense industry, Anduril, a leading defense technology startup, plans to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the UK. This new plant, focused on producing advanced aerial and maritime systems, is expected to generate thousands of jobs, marking a significant boost to the local economy.

The new facility is expected to operate independently from the company’s main operations in the United States. It will have its own research and development department and will be able to produce a selected range of weaponry within the UK division.

The publication noted that the plans are still at a sensitive stage and have not been officially disclosed. In particular, the company has not yet decided on a location for the future facility.

The information about the plans to build the factory emerged two weeks after British Defense Minister John Healey visited the company’s office in Washington. During that visit, he signed a £30 million contract on behalf of the International Fund for Ukraine, purchasing strike drones for Ukraine.

Anduril can expect significant profits from the new division, given the country’s increase in defense spending to 2.5% of GDP and the shift in focus towards developing unmanned systems.

“The United Kingdom does not plan to increase the size of its armed forces in terms of personnel, so it must recognize that it needs to rely on systems that eliminate the human factor,” the company’s founder shared in an interview with The Times last month.

The media noted that Anduril aims to make its future factory a “sovereign supplier,” which could be a key condition for success. The company plans to involve British specialists and supply chains to create weapons that are independent of U.S. export licenses and not subject to the risks of tariffs in a trade war.

It is possible that the planned UK factory could be a replica of the previously announced Arsenal-1 megafactory, covering 46 hectares and costing $1 billion, located in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

The new facility will produce most of Anduril’s autonomous weapons, sensors, and systems, ensuring a complete production cycle.

Upon completion, the factory is expected to cover an area of 464,515 square meters and produce tens of thousands of military systems annually. Additionally, 202 hectares of land are designated for potential future expansion of production.