MoD plans rapid procurement of Cambridge Aerospace's Skyhammer system at home and abroad
Britain is set to buy interceptors from a homegrown startup to counter Iranian Shahed-style attack drones, equipping both its own armed forces and allies in the Persian Gulf region.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) says it intends to buy interceptors known as Skyhammer from Cambridge Aerospace, with the first deliveries expected as early as May – astonishingly fast compared with typical UK defense procurements.
It is understood that a new task force in the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group within the MoD is moving quickly to support partners across the Middle East with technology designed to counter Iranian Shahed-style attack drones in light of recent attacks.
Subject to contract, the first tranche of missiles and launchers will be handed over in May, with more missiles and associated launchers to be supplied within the first six months of the agreement.
We asked the MoD how much this deal is worth. A spokesperson told The Register the contract has yet to be signed, so the information is commercially sensitive, but it is understood to be a multimillion-pound figure that will include integration, technical support, and end user training.
For the same reason, it was unwilling to disclose how Cambridge Aerospace was selected for this contract, or whether a competitive tender had been undertaken. We note that former defence secretary Grant Shapps was appointed chair of the startup last year, which might explain the MoD's reticence.
Skyhammer itself is said to have a range of 30 km (18.6 miles) and a maximum speed of 700 km/h (435 mph).
We asked Cambridge Aerospace for further details, but the firm told us it was unable to provide any information beyond that in the MoD announcement.
Reports from Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) last year described it as a tube-launched weapon powered by a turbojet engine, with wings that unfold after launching. It is said to weigh about 18 kg (40 pounds), and is less than 1 meter (3 ft) long, with a 1.3 m (just over 4 ft) wingspan.
Skyhammer's nose is understood to feature an X-band radar seeker, designed for all-weather operations, with a blast-fragmentation warhead behind that to disable the target.
Speaking at London Defence Conference last week, current defence secretary John Healey said the UK was applying a similar approach to supporting partner nations in the Middle East as it has taken with aid to Ukraine.
"We are applying the approach for UK support to Ukraine and accelerating contracts with the most innovative British businesses to rapidly expand support to Gulf partners and equip our own forces with anti-drone tech," he said.
Government backing for Cambridge Aerospace is "a prime case of a veteran-founded UK defence startup scaling at pace to deliver new interceptor missiles within weeks for our Armed Forces and Gulf partners," Healey added.
In a statement, Cambridge Aerospace chief Steven Barrett said it was critical for the UK to be able to defend itself effectively against the threat posed by drones.
"Skyhammer was designed to do exactly that – bringing affordable mass to protect our skies. We welcome the government's commitment to supporting UK air defence with scalable, sovereign solutions."
Cambridge Aerospace was founded in late 2024 and employs more than 125 people. It says it is building a second production facility to support accelerated delivery timelines.
Development of Skyhammer began in January 2025, with initial flight testing completed within six weeks. Recent testing has demonstrated consistent successful interceptions of drone targets under varied conditions, according to the company. ®