Leonardo DRS Opens UK Arm to Build Tactical Radios

DRS UK will manufacture tactical radios locally and serve as a European hub for counter-drone and air-defence work.

By The Defense Desk

[1]

The new production site is described as purpose-built, expanding DRS's manufacturing footprint with a dedicated local presence for UK industry partners and system integrators. [1] The company also intends DRS UK to function as a "strategic hub" for its tactical radio business across Europe more broadly. [1]

The structure is layered: DRS UK is a European subsidiary of Leonardo DRS, which is itself the American arm of Italian defence giant Leonardo. [1]

That positioning matters. As defence budgets shift and procurement timelines compress across the continent, proximity and manufacturing capacity are becoming competitive advantages in their own right.

[1] With DRS UK now operational, the company has a local platform to pursue both.