Drones built by a company in Maidenhead are being sent to Ukraine as part of a major tranche of military aid from the United Kingdom.

Malloy Aeronautics drones will be among more than 120,000 being donated to help Kyiv’s forces ‘defend their people and fight back’, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Wednesday (April 15).

The company produces a range of heavy-lifting UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) used by the UK Armed Forces as well as commercial operations.

A spokesperson for Malloy Aeronautics told the Advertiser: “We supply a range of all-electric uncrewed air systems to both civil and military customers.

“As you’d expect, this includes the provision of uncrewed capabilities into the UK MoD.

“It’s for them to advise on how these capabilities may be deployed in the defence of Ukraine."

Unveiling the ‘largest ever’ donation of UAVs, Defence Secretary John Healey said the ‘big boost of battle-proven drones will give Ukrainian forces the capability they need’.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Anrii Sybiha praised ‘the United Kingdom’s steadfast leadership and its unprecedented decision to provide the significant drone support package’.

UAVs built by Malloy, based at White Waltham Airfield, are capable of carrying weights as heavy as the average male grizzly bear.

They are being used by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines on trials in the Pacific Ocean and Norway, to help deliver supplies over long distances and save money on helicopter flights.


Three UK-based drone manufacturers, including Malloy, were named as recipients of how ‘most of this investment would be spent’ for the new aid package by the MoD.

The MoD did not specify how many of the 120,000 drones being deployed would be from Malloy, but it did say deliveries had already begun and would continue through 2026.

The ministry’s announcement said deliveries would include ‘long-range strike drones, intelligence and reconnaissance drones, logistics drones and maritime capabilities’.

Drone warfare has become a defining characteristic of the war in Ukraine, and some reports have suggested Malloy UAVs have already been used to aid Kyiv’s forces on the battlefield.

Citing Ukrainian military sources, the Telegraph said Malloy T-150 drones had been used to help destroy a bridge in Russian-occupied territory in Southern Ukraine last year.

Commenting on the drone aid package, Mr Healey said: “In the fifth year of Putin’s brutal war, the UK is stepping up further and providing the highest ever number of drones for Ukraine this year.

“This big boost of battle-proven drones will give Ukrainian forces the capability they need to defend their people and fight back against Russian aggression.

“With eyes on the Middle East in recent weeks, Putin wants us to be distracted, but Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage and nothing will distract us from continuing to stand with them for as long as it takes to secure peace.”

Mr Sybiha said: “We welcome the United Kingdom’s steadfast leadership and its unprecedented decision to provide the significant drone support package to Ukraine - 120,000 drones in 2026 alone.

“This contribution will strengthen our defensive capabilities and help protect our people against ongoing aggression.”