Babcock International Group (Babcock) and Frankenburg Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of a new and affordable air defence system in response to the increase of one-way attack drones.
As part of the MoU, Babcock, a world leader in designing and manufacturing maritime launch systems, will develop a cost-effective, containerised platform for launching Frankenburg’s new low-cost missiles, which it is manufacturing at pace, specifically to defend against one-way attack drones.
This joint capability will provide more affordable, scalable and kinetic solutions which are needed to be developed to protect military personnel and critical national infrastructure sites which could be exposed to attack across Europe.
With Frankenburg’s engineering function led from the UK, the relationship will provide both organisations with the opportunity to develop a new sovereign capability, creating skilled employment in the UK and providing Babcock and Frankenburg with global export opportunities.
David Lockwood, CEO of Babcock, said: “Defence has entered a new era with the rapid development of drone warfare and industry needs to respond to this growing threat. We work with the brightest start-ups on defence’s most critical challenges, and we’re pleased to be working with Frankenburg Technologies on the development of an innovative maritime counter-drone air defence system.”
Kusti Salm, CEO of Frankenburg Technologies, added: “Frankenburg Technologies’ mission is clear: to bring affordability and scale to modern air defence. The drone threat has changed the character of warfare, and every layer of defence now needs to be designed for mass and speed from the outset. Partnering with Babcock, a recognised leader in maritime defence, allows us to combine rapid innovation with proven naval and industrial expertise, accelerating the delivery of an operational maritime capability.”
About Babcock
Babcock is a FTSE 100 international defence company, operating in the UK, Australasia, Canada, France, and South Africa with exports to additional markets. We deliver complex support and product solutions to enhance our customers’ defence capabilities and critical assets. We are driven by our purpose: to create a safe and secure world, together.
About Frankenburg Technologies
Frankenburg Technologies is a defence technology company, operating in the United Kingdom, Tallinn, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and Ukraine. A third of the engineering function is based in the UK. Company is developing next-generation interceptor missiles for short-range air defence and counter-UAS. Systems are designed to protect armed forces and critical national infrastructure from large-scale aerial threats. Designed to be fast, lightweight, and mass-manufacturable, Frankenburg’s missile systems drastically lower intercept cost and complement existing layered air defence architectures.
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Babcock the aerospace, defence and security company is now the only operator in Spain with permission to fly commercial drones, weighing more than 25kg, beyond line of sight.
In practical terms this means Babcock can now fly its own design, the LUA drone, in rural areas, night or day, carrying emergency support payloads of up to five kilograms each trip. Thanks to the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA)’s cross-border arrangements, Babcock’s permissions extend beyond the Spanish borders and into other European countries where enhanced drone flights could make a world of difference to first responder emergency services or those at risk on the ground.
Capable of flying autonomy of up to four hours, Babcock’s LUA drones can be deployed in less than ten minutes and are ideally suited to complex emergency missions, and in particular, those that require the urgent transportation of medical materials, such as medicines, blood, and cardio-protection systems.
This approval is the culmination of exceptional work by our team of Research and Development (R&D) engineers in Babcock Spain who have developed LUA within the framework of a Civil UAVs Initiative programme promoted by our client, the Galician government’s innovation agency, GAIN.
Jose Luis Saiz, R&D Director Babcock Spain said “With AESA permission now in place we are keen to see how our LUA drone adds a new dimension to our emergency medical response in rural or hard to reach areas, or during floods and extreme weather. Babcock will continue to work closely with AESA to ensure the safety of these complex operations.”