UK drone manufacturing could support 600,000 jobs and be worth £40 billion

A UK drone hub could be worth almost £40 billion to the economy and support 600,000 jobs nationwide, GMB congress has said.

The union, which represents thousands of workers in the UK’s defence manufacturing sector, passed a motion calling for the hub at its annual congress in Brighton.

GMB’s submission to the Strategic Defence Review urged the UK Government to develop its own manufacturing capacity, in both military and civilian spheres and highlighted Lincolnshire as the ideal place to invest.

The county is already home to the RAF’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) fleet, a university with expertise in robotics, a strong engineering industrial base and an average age of 33, the union adds.

Martin Allen, GMB Union Regional Secretary, said, “With Government support, Lincolnshire could become the centre for a UK drone manufacturing industry, a high-tech sector of growing importance to global economics and security.

“We’ve seen the rapid rise in the importance of drone technology, but the UK is still too heavily reliant of non-domestically built drone systems.

“In Ukraine and across the globe the importance of this technology has been laid bare; it’s essential that the UK is at the forefront of this industry.

“That’s why we’re calling on the UK Government to take the bold steps required to create a built in Britain drone sector, right here in Lincolnshire.”

Last week the government confirmed the UK will supply Ukraine with 100,000 drones as the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have dramatically changed how war is fought.

The recent Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has called for more lethal technology to protect the UK from certain Russian attacks on Britain.

The drone package to Ukraine will £350 million as part of a broader £4.5 billion support package for Kyiv which will be sent by April 2026.

The Defence Secretary John Healey said, “The UK is stepping up its support for Ukraine by delivering hundreds of thousands more drones this year and completing a major milestone in the delivery of critical artillery ammunition.”