Defence News – Early April 2026
Estimated reading time 2 minutes
The South West’s maritime drone sector is to receive £50m of Government investment to maintain its world-leading position by developing next-generation surface and subsurface autonomous vessels that will create hundreds of jobs.
The funding forms part of the defence growth strategy launched last year to support firms developing remotely operated vehicles that can move through water.
The Ministry of Defence says the money will cut red tape and provide access to waterfront innovation labs and testing facilities.
Sourced from TheBusinessDesk
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South Yorkshire is set to strengthen its position as a UK defence manufacturing and research hub after securing a £50m government-backed Defence Growth Deal aimed at boosting innovation, skills and supply chains.
The investment, announced by the Ministry of Defence, will support cutting-edge research and development while helping regional firms scale up capabilities to support the Armed Forces.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard outlined the plans during a visit to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, where he met with industry leaders and South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard.
The funding is expected to create hundreds of highly skilled jobs and reinforce an already significant regional defence cluster, which supports around 3,200 roles across Yorkshire and the Humber and is underpinned by nearly £1bn in annual defence spending.
Sourced from TheBusinessDesk
