London, UK, Monday 18th May – UKRSPECSYSTEMS now joins SCEPTRE as our first Allied Partner.
SCEPTRE brings together best-in-class British technology companies – including Hadean, 2iC, Vizgard, Kraken, Evolve Dynamics, Labrys, and ACUA Ocean and Allied partner UKRSPECSYSTEMS – into a modular, open-architecture ecosystem aligned to the Strategic Defence Review’s Digital Targeting Web and the Defence Industrial Strategy’s mandate for sovereign, SME-enriched supply chains. UKRSPECSYSTEMS joining SCEPTRE reflects the clear need for ‘UK Innovation driven by Lessons from Ukraine’, as outlined within the Strategic Defence Review.
UKRSPECSYSTEMS was founded in 2014 following Russia’s initial invasion of sovereign Ukraine. It has since grown to become Ukraine’s third largest defence company and one of its leading manufacturers of uncrewed aerial systems. Its portfolio includes the PD-2, Shark and Mini Shark platforms, supporting missions ranging from long-range strike and special operations to frontline tactical reconnaissance.
UKRSPECSYSTEMS is a full-spectrum defence technology company, designing and manufacturing not only aircraft and software, but also proprietary electro-optical/infrared payloads, catapult launch systems, ground control stations and power systems. Its combat-proven drones have contributed to the destruction of an estimated $3 billion of Russian military assets since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
In 2026, UKRSPECSYSTEMS opened its first UK manufacturing facility in Suffolk as part of a £200 million investment programme expected to create up to 500 skilled jobs across the UK defence industrial base.
UKRSPECSYSTEMS UK MD, Rory Chamberlain said; “I am delighted that UKRSPECSYSTEMS UK has joined the SCEPTRE consortium as an Allied Partner. Having opened our UK headquarters and production facility earlier this year, joining SCEPTRE is a natural next step as we deepen our integration into the UK’s defence and security ecosystem. As Ukraine’s largest drone manufacturer, we bring significant operational and industrial experience to the consortium. The innovation and technical expertise of SCEPTRE’s British SMEs, combined with our wartime experience of resilient supply chains, large-scale drone production and rapid R&D, is a formidable combination. Together, we can help accelerate capability delivery to the UK Armed Forces and support the MOD’s drive for faster, more agile procurement.”
Craig Beddis, CEO Hadean said; “The UKRSPECSYSTEMS Shark is revered in Ukraine in the same way the Spitfire was in England in the 1940s; it is a symbol of resilience, sovereignty and engineering. SCEPTRE brings the power of UK Sovereign Technology, when combined with capability born in the highly contested battlefields of Ukraine we truly become greater than the sum of our parts. It is a privilege to welcome UKRSPECSYSTEMS as an Allied Partner to SCEPTRE. Slava Ukraini.”