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Twelve Ukrainian drone manufacturers have shown combat ready uncrewed systems to UK industry, investors and military officials at Larkhill Garrison on Salisbury Plain, in an event the Ministry of Defence says is designed to speed up joint work between British and Ukrainian firms.
The showcase took place on 30 October 2026 and was announced the same day by the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Minister Louise Sandher-Jones. The government presented it as a practical step under the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership.
At a Glance
- Twelve Ukrainian drone manufacturers demonstrated combat ready uncrewed systems at Larkhill Garrison on Salisbury Plain on 30 October 2026.
- The Ministry of Defence says the event was aimed at collaboration, co-development and investment in uncrewed aerial systems between UK and Ukrainian companies.
- Armed Forces Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said Ukraine's security is Europe's security and that the government wants firms from both countries to build and invest together.
- Brigadier Stu Nasse, Head of the Drone Capability Coalition, said government, industry and the military must work together earlier and more closely to keep pace with changing threats.
- The showcase builds on the Kyiv Business Centre, which opened on 8 October 2026 as the first UK business centre for industry in Ukraine.
Larkhill Drone Showcase, What Ukraine's Defence Firms Brought to the UK
The event brought UK and Ukrainian defence companies together at Larkhill Garrison, one of the Army's main sites on Salisbury Plain. According to the Ministry of Defence, 12 Ukrainian drone manufacturers took part, each demonstrating systems it describes as battle proven.
Their audience was made up of British companies, investors and military officials. The technologies on display covered intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, autonomous systems and other emerging uncrewed aerial systems, often shortened to UAS. These are the aircraft most commonly referred to as drones.
The demonstrations were only part of the programme. The Ministry of Defence says dedicated networking and engagement sessions ran alongside them, intended to help build new commercial and industrial partnerships between the two countries. The stated aim was to explore collaboration, co-development and investment in uncrewed systems and related technologies.
One feature of the event, as described by the department, was that attendees could learn directly from Ukrainian operational experience. The MOD says the rapid evolution of uncrewed systems on the battlefield is helping shape the future of warfare, and that the showcase gave UK industry and defence stakeholders a way to learn from that experience first hand.
What the Minister and Brigadier Said About UK-Ukraine Drone Collaboration
Louise Sandher-Jones, Minister for the Armed Forces, framed the event in terms of European security. "Ukraine's security is Europe's security," she said. "That's why the UK Government is backing British and Ukrainian collaboration, across our armed forces and industry." She added that the government wants businesses and innovators from both countries "to build together, invest together and succeed together".
Brigadier Stu Nasse, who is Head of the Drone Capability Coalition and Deputy Head of the Uncrewed Systems Centre, spoke in more operational terms. He described the showcase as "about turning innovation into action", and said that connecting Ukrainian companies with UK manufacturers, investors and defence stakeholders could accelerate the development and delivery of technologies that strengthen both countries' security.
Nasse also pointed to a lesson he said the UK had taken from Ukraine. "One of the most important lessons from Ukraine is that government, industry, and the military must work together earlier and more closely to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats," he said. He added that the UK offers a strong environment for growth, investment and international collaboration, and that the government is actively encouraging UK-Ukraine partnerships.
How the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership Is Opening MOD Support to Ukrainian Firms
The Ministry of Defence presented the showcase as putting the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership into practice, and in particular as opening up MOD support to Ukraine's defence sector. The department's reasoning is that Ukraine's success will depend on its ability to innovate faster than Russia and to field new capabilities quickly.
By bringing together industry, military users and technology developers, the MOD says events of this kind help Ukraine stay ahead of emerging battlefield challenges. It also argues the benefit runs both ways, boosting defence capability and industrial resilience in Ukraine and the UK alike. The announcement notes that Ukrainian defence companies are already expanding in the UK, which it says strengthens both countries' industrial bases.
The department said the attendance of senior UK and Ukrainian representatives showed a shared commitment to practical outcomes. The government has not published figures for investment commitments, contracts or joint ventures arising from the event, and the announcement does not name the 12 manufacturers.
What the MOD says it is aiming for
- New commercial and industrial partnerships between UK and Ukrainian firms in uncrewed systems.
- Faster development and delivery of drone technology shaped by frontline experience.
- Stronger industrial bases in both countries, with Ukrainian firms expanding in the UK.
Kyiv Business Centre, The UK's New Foothold in Ukraine
The MOD links the Larkhill event to wider cooperation in defence technology and industrial development, including the Kyiv Business Centre. That centre opened on 8 October 2026 and is described by the department as the UK's first dedicated business centre for industry in Ukraine, giving companies a permanent presence in Kyiv.
The centre is the result of collaboration between the National Armaments Director Group, industrial partners and the finance industry. It is aimed in particular at small and medium sized enterprises, offering a base from which to build relationships with Ukrainian partners, access battlefield insight and pursue co-development, co-production and investment. The MOD says the cost, security requirements and administrative complexity of operating in Ukraine had previously made it prohibitively difficult for smaller firms to establish a presence there.
The centre's operating model is built around three principles, industry, innovation and investment. It builds on more than 40 major UK-Ukraine industrial partnerships already in place and on the MOD's earlier trade missions to Ukraine. It also supports Ukrainian firms looking for UK industrial partners or wanting to set up UK based subsidiaries.
Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said at the centre's opening that it would help unlock new opportunities for investment, growth and long term recovery. National Armaments Director Rupert Pearce called it a "permanent gateway" for collaboration with Ukrainian partners. Taken together, the MOD describes the centre and the Larkhill showcase as creating opportunities in both countries for future investment, innovation and economic growth.
What Happens Next for UK-Ukraine Drone Partnerships
The announcement describes the showcase as a starting point for relationships rather than a set of agreed deals. What follows will depend on whether the networking sessions turn into commercial arrangements, and the Ministry of Defence has not said how it will report on that.
UK companies interested in working in Ukraine can contact the Kyiv Business Centre by email at enquiries@kyivbusinesscentre.com or through its website, kyivbusinesscentre.com, according to the MOD's announcement of the centre's opening.
Key Takeaways
- Twelve Ukrainian drone manufacturers showed combat ready uncrewed systems to UK industry, investors and military officials at Larkhill Garrison on 30 October 2026.
- The Ministry of Defence says the event puts the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership into practice by opening MOD support to Ukraine's defence sector.
- Louise Sandher-Jones and Brigadier Stu Nasse both stressed closer cooperation between governments, industry and the military to keep pace with fast-changing drone threats.
- The Kyiv Business Centre, opened on 8 October 2026, gives UK firms, especially smaller ones, a permanent base in Ukraine and builds on more than 40 UK-Ukraine industrial partnerships.
- The government has not published investment figures, contract values or the names of the participating Ukrainian manufacturers.
Sources & Further Reading
- GOV.UK - UK and Ukrainian industry unite to accelerate drone innovation Archived copy (OGL): archived page
- GOV.UK - New Kyiv Business Centre opens in Ukraine Archived copy (OGL): archived page