The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a multi-million-pound contract to Cambridge Aerospace to deliver its jet-powered drone and missile interceptor to the UK Armed Forces and Gulf partners.
Delivery of the Skyhammer air defense system will begin in May and continue over the next six months. The contract includes both launchers and interceptors, integration, technical support, and end-user training.
It is the first system developed by the UK-based startup, and is designed to counter drones and slow-moving missiles.
“With aerial threats continuing to evolve, it is critical that defence capabilities can scale rapidly and cost-effectively,” Cambridge Aerospace CEO Steven Barrett said.
“Skyhammer was designed to meet that need — delivering reliable, high-performance interception at scale. We welcome the opportunity to support the UK with sovereign, rapidly deployable air defence systems.”
Tube-Launched System
Development began in January 2025, with initial flight tests completed within six weeks.
Since then, the system has undergone weekly testing to validate performance across varied operational scenarios and compatibility with multiple sensor systems.
Skyhammer is designed for integration into layered air defense architectures, offering a range of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) and a top speed of 700 kilometers (435 miles) per hour.
The tube-launched system incorporates retractable wings and inverted V-tail control surfaces for enhanced aerodynamic maneuverability. Propelled by a jet engine, it is equipped with an onboard mini-radar seeker for terminal guidance and autonomous target lock-on.
While the system’s exact price has not been disclosed, it is believed to cost roughly the same as a Shahed drone and less than the Martlet missile, according to The Aviationist.
Boost to British Economy
This contract is expected to create 50 additional jobs and sustain 125 existing positions at Cambridge Aerospace.
The UK is also considering ordering additional Martlet multirole missiles to strengthen British forces in the Middle East against Iranian drone threats.
The Martlet, also known as the Lightweight Multirole Missile, is manufactured by Thales at its facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
“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,” Defence Secretary John Healey said.
“Our government backing for Cambridge Aerospace is a prime case of a veteran-founded UK defence start-up scaling at pace to deliver new interceptor missiles within weeks for our Armed Forces and Gulf partners, and good jobs and security here in the UK.”
