Starmer’s defence plan will only work if Britain backs its own drone manufacturers, industry warns
Sir Keir Starmer’s new plan includes a £15 billion increase in defence spending over four years, with £5 billion earmarked for drones and autonomous weapons
Britain’s new Defence Investment Plan promises billions for drones and a new “hybrid navy” - but industry figures say its success will depend on whether ministers are serious about backing UK manufacturers.
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Craig Pyser, CEO of Portsmouth-based AMufacture, told LBC that British firms already have the capability to meet the moment if investment is directed towards them.
“It is absolutely critical from a UK standpoint that we have the ability to manufacture within our own shores,” he said.
Sir Keir Starmer’s plan includes a £15 billion increase in defence spending over four years, with £5 billion earmarked for drones and autonomous weapons.
It also promises to "back" British defence companies and develop a “hybrid navy” combining conventional warships with uncrewed and AI-enabled systems.
AMufacture 3D prints parts across air, land, surface and underwater systems, and supplies drone parts to the Ministry of Defence and NATO-linked contracts.
Mr Pyser said that shift was “significant and also not unexpected”, arguing the conflict in Ukraine has shown how quickly drone warfare is changing the battlefield.
"The world of drones has woken up to this technology,” he said, adding that additive manufacturing is being used because “you can manufacture turnarounds in very fast lead times”.
Hybrid warfare, in this context, means using drones and autonomous systems alongside traditional military platforms rather than in place of them.
“It’s not just a standalone model whereby we’re only ever going to use drones,” Mr Pyser said. “This is something that works alongside and uses the most modern techniques for warfare.”
He said the real challenge now is making sure British companies are properly used.
“We have to have our own sovereign capabilities,” he said.
“There are companies like ours... that are manufacturing in places like Portsmouth, but it’s not necessarily as widely known or people widely aware of what our capabilities actually are.”
Mr Pyser said defence had become his firm’s biggest sector in the last “9 months to 12 months”, and said that “looks set to increase”.
On supply chains, he said Britain was getting there, but had further to go.
But Mr Pyser suggested the wider defence supply chain still has work to do before it can fully meet demand.
Asked whether Britain had a smooth and swift enough supply chain to back more UK defence production, he said: “It’s developing."
He said more companies were now recognising what British manufacturers can offer, particularly after visiting sites and seeing that capacity first-hand.
He suggested the direction of travel was positive, with more of the industry now moving towards faster, more flexible production in the UK.