Cambridge Aerospace to deliver Skyhammer air defence systems to UK Ministry of Defence

The UK Ministry of Defence has announced that it is purchasing a significant number of Skyhammer air defence systems from UK-headquartered scale-up Cambridge Aerospace, with deliveries starting from May. The company has committed to delivering these units to the MOD over the next six months.

Founded in late 2024, Cambridge Aerospace develops advanced air defence systems designed to deliver high performance at significantly lower cost than traditional solutions. Its first product, Skyhammer, has a range of over 30 km and a top speed of 700 km/h, enabling it to intercept a wide range of aerial threats, including drones and low-speed missiles.

Development of Skyhammer began in January 2025, with initial flight testing achieved within six weeks. Since then, the system has undergone continuous, iterative testing on a weekly basis, ensuring effectiveness across varied operational scenarios and compatibility with a broad range of sensor systems. This enables rapid deployment as part of a layered air defence architecture.

Recent testing has demonstrated consistent successful interceptions of drone targets under varied conditions, with autonomous platforms identifying, tracking and neutralising threats.

The company has scaled rapidly and now employs over 125 people in highly skilled roles across the UK, with a growing presence in Europe. It is also expanding manufacturing capacity, with a second production facility currently in final fit-out to support accelerated delivery timelines.

Steven Barrett, CEO of Cambridge Aerospace, said: “With aerial threats continuing to evolve, it is critical that defence capabilities can scale rapidly and cost-effectively. 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.”