The Ministry of Defence has awarded £3.16 million to three UK SMEs to develop low-cost interceptors capable of shooting down drones, making the UK the first of five European partner nations to award contracts under a new joint air defence programme. The Low-Cost Air Defence Effectors (LCADE) programme is being delivered by the National Armaments Director Group as part of the wider European Low-Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms (LEAP) initiative, which brings together the UK, Poland, France, Italy and Germany to develop affordable effectors and autonomous systems. Each nation is running its own national competition ahead of a multilateral phase,…
