A four-year-old New Zealand company, operating from an unassuming warehouse in Tauranga—best known as a seaside holiday and retirement location—has won a NZ$66.8 million (US$39.88 million) contract to supply the UK government with drones for use in Ukraine.
Syos Aerospace was formed in 2021 and specialises in the manufacture of uncrewed vehicles for air, land, and sea use.
It makes “heavy-lift” unmanned helicopters suitable for aerial operations in remote locations. Its flagship model is the SA200, with a payload capacity of 200 kilograms and a flight endurance of 2 hours.
The company already has a production site in the UK and plans to expand into Australia and the United States.
Syos has developed a proprietary control system that can operate in areas where satellite-based navigation is unavailable or unreliable due to various factors such as interference, signal blockage, or intentional jamming.
The drones use AI to support remote human pilots but can also operate autonomously. Built at its factory in Hampshire, southeast of London, they have previously been deployed to combat zones.
The deal was announced by British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer as the UK and New Zealand both increase their defence spending to 2.5 and 2 percent of GDP, respectively, and NZ Prime Minister Chris Luxon visits Britain.
The expansion of defence spending has led Syos to forecast that its revenue will triple in the coming year.
Starmer said in a statement that the two countries would continue to work “to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to deter an increasingly aggressive Russia.”
“From the beaches of Gallipoli to the vital work we have been doing together on Operation Interflex and our support for Ukraine, the UK and New Zealand have stood shoulder-to-shoulder for generations in pursuit of peace and stability,” he said.
New Zealand, which has also been contributing to plans for post-conflict support for Ukraine through the Coalition of the Willing, confirmed on April 23 that it would extend its support for Operation Interflex.
The operation has trained more than 54,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the UK to date and will now continue until the end of the year. Luxon visited on April 22 to see the training firsthand.
The two countries plan to increase their cooperation on defence and security matters.
The UK government has confirmed that the respective defence ministers were instructed to work on a new joint defence partnership to replace the one signed in 2015.
“It will also recognise the vital partnership between the UK and New Zealand in upholding stability and security across Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific,” a government release said.
The Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha has joined the UK Carrier Strike Group, which left Portsmouth today bound for the Indian Ocean.
