UK to begin mass production of Ukraine's anti-aircraft drones under Octopus partnership
global.espreso.tv
Wed, 29 Oct 2025 20:35:00 +0200

Defense Express reported the information.The UK government has officially confirmed that production of advanced anti-aircraft drones will commence within weeks under the joint Octopus program, marking a unique collaboration that involves technology exchange between Kyiv and London. Under the arrangement, Ukraine will share its drone technology and intellectual property with the UK, while Britain will scale up manufacturing and deliver thousands of interceptor drones to Ukrainian defense forces each month."Our Ukrainian friends will share technologies and intellectual property with Great Britain, and we, in turn, will develop them further and produce them at scale to supply Ukraine with thousands of interceptor drones monthly," stated Al Carns, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, highlighting the rapid timeline from concept to mass production on foreign soil.The Octopus project was first announced just months ago in early September, when the UK government revealed the joint development and production initiative for high-tech weaponry. The anti-aircraft drone became the flagship example of this cooperation, made possible through an industrial partnership agreement between Kyiv and London announced earlier this year.While development likely began before the official announcement, the project represents a compelling case study in accelerated defense production. The drones are specifically designed to counter long-range strike drones similar to the Iranian-made Shaheds that have been used extensively in attacks on Ukraine.Initial production rates are expected to reach several thousand units per month, with Ukrainian military forces conducting preliminary testing. Positive feedback will trigger expanded British production capacity, with plans to eventually establish manufacturing facilities in Ukraine as well. The Octopus drones are also slated to become a cornerstone of the European "Drone Wall" project, a continental air defense initiative that relies heavily on Ukrainian expertise.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released the first images of the Octopus anti-aircraft drone earlier this week, though technical specifications remain classified.








