Babcock has announced a new partnership with Plymouth-based ACUA Ocean Technologies and Estonian defence company, Frankenburg Technologies to develop a low-cost maritime air defence capability based around uncrewed surface vessels. The collaboration reflects growing interest in persistent, affordable counter-drone and air defence systems as the Royal Navy plans to deploy increasing numbers of uncrewed vessels in future.
The agreement, signed at the Farnborough International Airshow, will combine Babcock’s modular launcher system, Frankenburg’s low-cost guided interceptor missiles and ACUA’s PIONEER autonomous USV. The concept is intended to provide a persistent counter-UAS capability capable of protecting ships, ports and critical maritime infrastructure against mass drone attacks.
The announcement builds on an agreement signed by Babcock and Frankenburg in January 2026 to explore new maritime air defence systems in response to the proliferation of one-way attack drones. Babcock plans to develop a cost-effective, containerised launcher capable of deploying Frankenburg’s Mark 1 missile, specifically intended to defeat one-way attack drones at scale. The emphasis is on affordability, speed of production and ease of integration rather than exquisite performance. The launcher architecture has been designed to fit both crewed and uncrewed vessels and can be manufactured rapidly and scaled to meet demand.
Unlike conventional naval air defence missiles that can cost £millions per shot, Frankenburg’s philosophy is to produce guided interceptors that are inexpensive enough to engage large numbers of low-cost drones without exhausting stocks or defence budgets. The Mark I missile has been designed specifically to counter short-range drone threats using commercially available components and industrial production techniques. Frankenburg claims the weapon can reduce interception costs by a factor of 10-20 compared with existing short-range missile systems while remaining suitable for land, air and maritime launch platforms.
The economics of air defence have become a major concern following the widespread use of inexpensive attack drones in Ukraine and the Middle East. Western militaries have frequently been forced to destroy drones costing tens of thousands of pounds using missiles worth many times more. The search for more affordable interceptors has become a priority across NATO and the defence industry.
For ACUA, the partnership is another option in a suite of capabilities that could be supported by its Pioneer USV. Rather than pursuing high speeds, Pioneer has been designed around exceptional stability and endurance, allowing it to remain at sea for prolonged periods in conditions that would limit many smaller autonomous craft.
ACUA’s Sentinel concept envisages a network of persistent autonomous vessels equipped with sensors and defensive payloads that could patrol UK coastal waters and approaches for extended periods. Fitted with radar, electro-optical sensors and low-cost interceptor missiles, such vessels could provide continuous surveillance and act as an outer defensive layer protecting naval bases, critical infrastructure or high-value ships against drone attacks.
While the agreement remains at the memorandum of understanding stage rather than representing a procurement programme, it illustrates how industry is already moving to develop capabilities that fit the RN’s future operating model. The combination of persistent autonomous patrol vessels with affordable hard-kill counter-drone weapons is an option to address the pressing operational problems highlighted by recent conflicts: defending against large numbers of cheap aerial threats without incurring unsustainable costs.
