Despite Launching Production in the UK, Ukrspecsystems Will Keep Drone Development in Ukraine

The Ukrainian company Ukrspecsystems will keep its main research and development (R&D) of unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine, despite opening a drone production facility in the United Kingdom.

Rory Chamberlain, director of Ukrspecsystems UK, told Militarnyi that the company known for producing advanced Ukrainian drones and now expanding manufacturing to the UK will continue to base its core development at home.

This includes the PD-2 and Shark drones, which are widely used for military reconnaissance.

For the company, R&D (Research and Development) in the drone sector means researching and developing new technologies, components, and solutions that make unmanned systems more efficient, smarter, and more reliable.

The central R&D will remain in Ukraine, but part of it will operate in the United Kingdom to adapt the product to NATO standards and ensure the exchange of results with Ukraine.

“This is genuinely a collaborative effort to develop joint products. We want to avoid having different standards for different customers. That’s important both for security and for strengthening alliances,” Rory Chamberlain said.

The UK also plans, over time, to hire Ukrainians to work on drone development.

“For people who need to obtain a work visa and move to the UK, the process is much more complicated. So right now is not the time for that. But in the future – yes,” Chamberlain added.

Drone development will remain concentrated in Ukraine because the country already has the regulatory framework and the appropriate airspace for this work.

Ukraine is currently setting the pace in both operations and understanding of the processes.

“There is no point in moving this to the UK. It makes more sense to keep it in Ukraine, where we can continue to set the pace,” the director of UKRSPECSYSTEMS UK noted.

The company is also working with local educational institutions – they plan to create courses for students and engineers.

“The main idea is to provide this knowledge from an early age. It helps spark interest and develop it,” Chamberlain explained.

UKRSPECSYSTEMS is also working on programs for veterans to prepare them for jobs in the industry even before they complete their service.

“We must invest resources in R&D, and it is thanks to this that high-quality products will be created and our advantage over competitors will be maintained,” the company added.

It was previously reported that Ukrspecsystems is investing £200 million ($250 million) in a new factory in Mildenhall.