Babcock has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ark Robotics to explore UK manufacturing of uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), as per a recent press statement. The agreement, signed at DVD 2026, brings a platform already proven on Ukraine’s frontline to British and allied forces.
The two companies will jointly explore UK manufacturing, systems integration and payload integration under the MoU. They also plan to develop a full support package covering training, logistics, infrastructure and operational support. Discussions will extend to Ark Robotics’ Frontier system, which gives robots autonomous navigation and lets one operator control multiple vehicles simultaneously.
UGVs increasingly handle frontline logistics, resupplying troops with ammunition, weapons and equipment. They lay smokescreens and evacuate casualties, reducing soldiers’ exposure to danger. Ark Robotics’ A1, already deployed with Ukraine’s armed forces, offers a 20km range per charge, a 40kph top speed and a 15kg payload capacity. At DVD 2026, the firms demonstrated the A1 fitted with a Concept smoke generator, which automatically lays smokescreens where needed.
Chief Executive of Babcock’s Land and Mission Systems sector, Louise Atkinson, commented that customers need innovative solutions to maintain their operational edge amid growing global volatility. She added that the partnership lets Babcock combine its autonomy, manufacturing and systems integration expertise to deliver next-generation uncrewed systems for UK and international customers.
Ark Robotics CEO Achi Takagama added that militaries will soon field far more unmanned systems than soldiers, and that Babcock’s manufacturing capacity and through-life support will turn a proven platform into sovereign capability at scale.
Learn more on Babcock’s website
