UK-built SkyShark and TigerShark answers domestic drone demand
The SkyShark drone was demonstrated at Enstone Airfield. (Photo: MGI Engineering)
MGI Engineering recently demonstrated two variants of its SkyShark, a UK-built one-way-effector (OWE), as both a gas turbine and electric-powered platform, with its larger OWE TigerShark to be showcased at DSEI in September.
MGI Engineering has unveiled its new one-way-effector drone platform, SkyShark, to address the UK armed forces’ growing need for UK-built, cost-effective and scalable drones, with a second OWE to be unveiled at DSEI.
Speaking to Shephard, Mike Gascoyne, CEO and founder at MGI Engineering, said that the company currently has 15 SkyShark uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in production, including the one displayed earlier in July.
Lessons learned from Ukraine have been “essential” to shaping the company’s approach to the design of the UAV, Gascoyne added.
Related Articles
StormShroud enters service with UK RAF to suppress enemy air defences
UK Strategic Defence Review puts emphasis on autonomy, airpower and munitions
UK bets big on drone investment and boosts its drone deliveries to Ukraine tenfold
“The conflict has demonstrated how rapidly battlefield requirements can shift, particularly in areas like avionics and mission adaptability. We use these real-world insights to ensure that SkyShark remains advanced, responsive, and fit for the demands of modern warfare.”
Demonstrated at an event in Oxfordshire earlier in July, two variants of the SkyShark were showcased: a gas propelled turbine engine and an electric-powered version.
The SkyShark gas-turbine variant, built in tandem with Argive, can offer strike capability to armed forces without reliance on overseas manufacturers, the company noted.
A medium-range OWE UAV, SkyShark has a 350km range with 20kg of modular payload, MGI Engineering stated. The OWE is engineered to conduct strike, decoy and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in GPS-denied or highly contested environments, with every part of the drone built and designed on British soil, according to the company.
It will be showcased at DSEI in September, alongside TigerShark – another new offering by the company for the UK to possibly procure for use by its armed forces.
Compared to the SkyShark, the TigerShark is a larger OWE, designed for long-range, precision deep-strike missions. With modular payload options, it delivers a 300kg payload with a 750km range, according to MGI Engineering.
What procurement efforts are the UK making on OWE drones so far?
Both platforms built by MGI Engineering reinforce the UK’s push to overcome the growing challenge and need by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to acquire low-cost, long-range OWEs.
In September 2024, the UK MoD published a notice on Project Brakestop, which stated its intent to look for a OWE heavy platform which could deliver a 200-300kg payload over a target range of 600km. Serial production is targeted to begin the next two months with the MoD citing the project to have an "aggressive timeline".
In 2024, the MoD launched a new drone strategy that included around £4.5 billion (US$5.7 billion) of investment in new uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) over the next decade. The UK government has pushed for the growth of the UK defence industry, as it committed to spending a 5% of GDP on defence by 2035.
This push for UAS's was also emphasised by the recently published Strategic Defence Review which also called for OWE drones as part of the ‘20-40-40’ mix of crewed and uncrewed systems for land warfare and to integrate within the Royal Air Force fleet alongside crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from DSEI 2025
-
![German rearmament – three potential scenarios]()
German rearmament – three potential scenarios
With the possibility of a massive increase in German defence spending on the horizon, Shephard analyses what such a boost could mean for the Bundeswehr’s procurement of new armoured vehicles.
-
![DSEI 2025: Larger vehicles begin to turn to the benefits of rubber tracks]()
DSEI 2025: Larger vehicles begin to turn to the benefits of rubber tracks
Composite rubber tracks (CRTs) have substantial benefits over conventional steel tracks including reduced damage when travelling on roads and reduced vibration, noise, thermal signature, weight and fuel consumption.
-
![DSEI 2025: Likely spending boosts outlined this year turn spotlight on show]()
DSEI 2025: Likely spending boosts outlined this year turn spotlight on show
A surge in budgeted and planned defence spending across European NATO countries in the past year has come in the face of the war in Ukraine and demands from the Trump administration that the countries take on more of the load. This is likely to be reflected in what can be expected from DSEI.
-
![DSEI 2025: Leopard 1 offered extra kick with new power pack]()
DSEI 2025: Leopard 1 offered extra kick with new power pack
The new power pack from Germany’s Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) is about 300kg lighter than the original system, consists of a more modern eight-cylinder diesel developing up to 1,080hp. It is being shown for the first time at DSEI.
-
![DSEI 2025: Skana’s new autonomous maritime platforms signal company’s shift towards scalable assets]()
DSEI 2025: Skana’s new autonomous maritime platforms signal company’s shift towards scalable assets
The Israeli defence technology company has taken the wraps off two autonomous vessels ahead of DSEI as it sets its sights on scalability and cost reduction.
