LONDON, United Kingdom — The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded £3.16 million in contracts to Frankenberg Technologies, Greenjets, and Cambridge Aerospace to develop low-cost interceptors capable of countering drones and other airborne threats. The contracts are part of the Low-Cost Air Defence Effectors (LCADE) programme, managed by the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group, and mark the UK's first awards under the multinational Low-Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms (LEAP) initiative.
LEAP is a joint programme involving the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland to develop affordable interceptors and autonomous defence systems. Each country is running its own national competition before moving to a multinational phase, where the most promising designs will be selected for large-scale production across the partner nations.
The programme responds to the growing challenge posed by low-cost, mass-produced drones, which can overwhelm traditional air defence systems that are often expensive to operate and slower to replace. The MOD noted that Russia launched the equivalent of more than 200 drones per day into Ukraine during March 2026, highlighting the need for more cost-effective air defence solutions.
The three selected companies, all UK-based SMEs, will now develop and test their interceptor designs while expanding domestic manufacturing capabilities. The investment is expected to support jobs in Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Bristol, and Stevenage, with Cambridge Aerospace becoming one of the newer companies to join MOD programmes.
The contracts were delivered by Commercial X, a specialist team within the NAD Group that focuses on accelerating defence procurement and increasing participation from smaller companies. The team has previously supported rapid contracting for programmes involving hypersonic weapons and directed energy systems.
The UK says the LCADE programme will strengthen national air defence capabilities while supporting the domestic defence industry. Following the development and testing phase, successful designs will be considered for production at scale under the wider LEAP programme to provide affordable air defence systems for allied forces.
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