A German defence tech company is planning to open a drone factory in the West of England, creating 100 jobs in the process.
The 40,000 sq ft plant in Swindon, Wiltshire, will be Stark's first in the 海角视频. The firm, founded last year, also has sites in Berlin and Munich in Germany, and Kyiv, in the Ukraine.
The company's unmanned weapon systems are used by Nato and other allied armed forces, including the Ukrainian army.
READ MORE: {}
Stark 海角视频's managing director Mike Armstrong said the company wanted to take advantage of Britain's technological and defence expertise.
“We need rapid and scalable production to protect our people, defend our sovereignty and deter aggression," he explained. "That means resilient supply chains which stretch across Europe."
He added that Germany and the 海角视频 were "world leaders" in new technologies and the company's expansion would help “define the battlefields of the future”.
According to Stark's website, the business specialises in systems "needed on modern battlefields". Its so-called 'Virtus' system is able to go from cruising at a speed of 120 km/h to performing rapid, high-velocity dives at up to 250 km/h, and can carry a payload of up to 5kg.
Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins said: "[The news is] a strong endorsement of our town's growing reputation in advanced manufacturing and innovation. I'm excited to see this cutting-edge UAV technology take shape right here in Swindon."
Most Read
Mr Robbins added that the investment was a "major step forward" in the ambition to position the town "as a national leader in defence advanced manufacturing".
Will Stone, MP for Swindon North, said he was "proud" that Stark would “bring back defence manufacturing” to the town, which has a “proud military legacy”.
The West of England is home to the largest defence and aerospace cluster in the 海角视频. The region's sector is valued at more than £2.7bn and employs 40,000 people.
Major defence firms are based in the South West, including 海角视频 engineering giant Babcock in Plymouth, Italian aerospace business Leonardo in Somerset, and Rolls-Royce in Bristol.