The Ministry of Defense has awarded £3.16 million to three suppliers to develop new low-cost interceptors designed to shoot down drones and other aerial threats. The UK is the first of five European partner countries to award contracts under a joint program to strengthen air defence.
These interceptors are designed to provide a more economical way to counter drones. This is increasingly important as countries begin to use large quantities of cheap, mass-produced drones that can overwhelm traditional air defense systems, which are more expensive and slower to produce. In March 2026, Russia launched the equivalent of more than 200 drones per day in Ukraine, highlighting the magnitude of the challenge.
The program, called Low Cost Air Defense Effectors (LCADE), is being implemented by the National Armament Director Group (NAD) as part of a broader European effort known as Low Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms (LEAP).
LEAP brings together five countries (UK, Poland, France, Italy and Germany) to develop affordable autonomous systems and effectors. Each country is organizing its own national competition, which will be followed by a multilateral phase, with the aim of stimulating growth across the European defense industry, improving collaboration and offering solutions to our nations’ warfighters.
The program supports the NAD Group’s mission to strengthen the UK’s defense capabilities by working closely with industry, accelerating innovation and delivering equipment faster. It also supports employment and manufacturing in the UK, while working with international partners to develop solutions that can be produced at scale and used by allied forces.
The three successful companies are Frankenberg Technologies, Greenjets and Cambridge Aerospace, which will now develop and test their designs. They are all small or medium-sized companies. Cambridge Aerospace has recently been identified to the Ministry of Defence, demonstrating the value of expanding access to new market entrants. Each has a presence in the UK and is committed to developing UK manufacturing capacity, helping to support employment across SMEs and contributing to regional economic growth.
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The contracts were awarded by Commercial They have been responsible for quickly securing contracts with suppliers to deliver the Government’s hypersonic and directed energy weapons programmes, as well as recently signing contracts worth up to £4m with 13 future British ‘unicorns’.
The next phase will focus on identifying solutions that can potentially be produced in large quantities in the five partner countries. This will require strong manufacturing capabilities and reliable supply chains to ensure systems can be delivered quickly and at scale.
National Armament Director Rupert Pearce said: “With the award of these contracts, Commercial
Greenjets chief executive Anmol Manohar said: “We are very proud to have been awarded this contract under LCADE and to demonstrate the role that innovative British companies can play in rapidly strengthening national defense capabilities. We look forward to working with the MoD and our partners as we move towards demonstration testing later this year.”
Cambridge Aerospace chief executive Steven Barrett said: “This MoD contract represents a significant step in our commitment to delivering low-cost, high-scale interceptors to the UK and Europe. We welcome the opportunity to work with the MoD as we continually develop our products to meet end-user needs.”
Frankenburg Technologies CEO Dan Hallett said: “I am delighted to have been awarded the LCADE contract. Through this contract we will develop low-cost, mass-produced missiles in the UK to defeat the scale of the massive drone threat.”
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