DSEI 2025: Rotron Aerospace Launches Defendor UCAV for Sovereign OWE Capability

At DSEI 2025, Rotron Aerospace has unveiled its latest uncrewed platform, the Defendor, a next-generation Uncrewed Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) designed to deliver sovereign capability in the rapidly evolving field of One-Way Effectors (OWE).

The system, developed around Rotron’s breakthrough R350-FDS (Fan Drive System), is optimised for extended range and cost-efficient mass manufacture. According to Rotron, the propulsion innovation enables Defendor to achieve up to four times the operational endurance of conventional turbojet architectures, while maintaining the agility and high subsonic speeds required for tactical strike operations.

Combat Mass and Affordability

Defendor has been engineered to address the UK’s growing demand for scalable strike options in contested environments. Leveraging simplified supply chains and low-complexity design, Rotron aims to provide a platform that can be produced at volume and at cost levels competitive with existing expendable air systems.

The company highlights that this approach ensures the platform is not only a disposable one-way effector but also configurable for attritable UCAV roles, offering flexibility in both offensive strike and force multiplication.

Expanding the OWE Landscape

The launch comes at a time when both NATO and UK defence planners are seeking cost-effective solutions to counterbalance adversary A2/AD strategies. Recent conflicts have underscored the effectiveness of attritable strike drones and loitering munitions; however, endurance and payload limitations remain key constraints.

By integrating the R350-FDS, Defendor is positioned as a bridge between traditional loitering munitions and full-spectrum combat drones – a system that offers persistence, speed, and payload capacity within a sovereign, UK-origin platform.

Strategic Sovereignty

Rotron Aerospace CEO Alex Head said the unveiling of Defendor at DSEI underlines the company’s commitment to strengthening UK sovereign capability in the aerospace and defence domain.

“Defendor demonstrates what can be achieved when propulsion innovation is directly applied to the pressing challenges of modern warfare. By combining our R350-FDS with a design philosophy rooted in affordability and combat mass, we’ve created a system that gives UK and allied forces strategic options at scale.”
Alex Head, Rotron Aerospace CEO

SME Agility in Defence

Rotron also emphasises the importance of SME-driven innovation in meeting urgent operational requirements. Unlike large primes, which often face long development cycles and high cost structures, SMEs such as Rotron are able to move at speed, iterate rapidly, and field novel solutions at lower cost. This agility aligns with the UK Ministry of Defence’s stated aim to enable SMEs to play a greater role in the defence industrial base — bringing fresh innovation, competitive pricing, and sovereign capability. Defendor is presented as a tangible example of how smaller, specialist firms can outpace legacy suppliers and deliver operational impact in real-world timeframes.

Future Development

Rotron confirmed that Defendor will undergo further flight trials in late 2025, with planned demonstrations of strike profiles and integration with electronic warfare payloads. The system is expected to attract attention from both MOD and allied export markets seeking to bolster resilience and capability against peer threats.

As the OWE domain continues to mature, the Defendor marks an important step in the UK’s ability to field attritable, long-range UCAVs, offering both sovereign autonomy and interoperability with NATO partners.