Defence & Autonomous Systems

From urgent demand to scalable production

Airborne helps defence manufacturers turn production challenges into scalable manufacturing solutions.

Combining composite manufacturing expertise, automation technology and an entrepreneurial approach, we support the journey from product design and industrialisation to repeatable, high-rate production.

Discuss your manufacturing challenge
Airborne automated composite production

Scalable solutions: from prototype to high-rate production

Four levels of manufacturing maturity. We help you choose the right level for every stage of your programme, and grow from one to the next.

  1. Development / Introduction
    Level 0

    Design & Small Series

    Prototyping & production start up

  2. Growth
    Level 1

    Conventional Manufacturing

    Low to medium-rate manual production

  3. Maturity
    Level 2

    Digital Supported

    Medium to high-rate manual production

  4. Fluctuation / Extension
    Level 3

    Automation

    Medium to high-rate automated production

Production rate Unit cost

The challenge

Defence manufacturing needs a different approach

The defence industry is facing manufacturing challenges where time, production volume and location are increasingly critical.

Manufacturers need to move beyond traditional, labour-intensive production methods to achieve faster production ramp-up, greater consistency and improved operational flexibility.

The questions are changing:

  • How can we scale from hundreds to thousands of units per month?
  • How can we establish production capacity in multiple locations?
  • How can we design products for efficient, automated manufacturing?
  • How can we reduce dependence on highly skilled operators?
  • How can we safeguard production continuity and supply security?
  • How can we increase output without compromising quality?
  • Where does automation deliver the greatest value?

Our answer

Answering these questions requires more than individual machines or additional production capacity. It requires a manufacturing strategy designed for scale from the outset.

Our expertise

From product design to scalable manufacturing

At Airborne, we approach manufacturing as an integrated challenge. Product design, material selection, production processes, automation and operational requirements all influence how effectively production can scale.

Our expertise in composite manufacturing and industrialisation helps customers make the right manufacturing decisions early, reducing unnecessary complexity and creating a foundation for reliable production.

Level 0

Design for Manufacturing

Efficient manufacturing starts before production begins. We help customers consider production requirements during product development, ensuring that composite designs are aligned with suitable manufacturing processes, tooling and automation possibilities.

1 / 4
Engineers working on product design
Level 0 & 1

Manufacturing Industrialisation

Moving from prototypes or low-volume production towards higher output requires stable and reproducible processes. Airborne supports the development and industrialisation of composite manufacturing solutions with a focus on quality, efficiency and scalability.

2 / 4
Manual composite production and quality control
Level 2

Smart Automation

Not every manufacturing step needs to be automated. The objective is to identify where automation improves productivity, consistency and operator efficiency, while retaining simpler processes where these provide greater operational flexibility.

3 / 4
Kit by Light, digitally supported manual production
Level 3

Scalable Production Solutions

We support manufacturing approaches designed around required production volumes, operational conditions and opportunities for replication across multiple production locations.

4 / 4
Automated Ply Placement
Airborne production environment

Local production

Rapidly Deployable Local Production

For defence manufacturers, where production takes place can be just as important as how much is produced. Establishing local capacity may help reduce logistical dependencies, support security of supply and improve responsiveness to changing operational needs.

Airborne focuses on manufacturing concepts that can be adapted to different production environments and workforce capabilities. This means considering the complete operational model, including infrastructure, energy requirements, process complexity, operator training and opportunities to replicate the production set-up across locations.

Rather than pursuing maximum automation by default, the priority is to develop robust, practical production solutions that can be implemented and operated efficiently.

The objective: production capacity that is easier to establish, operate and scale.

Why Airborne

Built around the realities of defence manufacturing

Speed to Market

Reducing the complexity of industrialisation and accelerating the transition towards repeatable production.

Scalable Output

Developing manufacturing solutions that support increasing production volumes while maintaining process consistency.

Quality and Repeatability

Applying proven composite manufacturing knowledge and controlled processes to support consistent production quality.

Reduced Dependence on Skilled Labour

Combining process simplification and automation to reduce reliance on scarce specialist manufacturing skills.

Flexible Production Locations

Considering manufacturing solutions that can support local deployment and replication across multiple sites.

Partnership

Your manufacturing challenge. Our starting point.

Every defence manufacturing programme has different requirements. Production volumes, timelines, component complexity, available workforce and location all influence the right manufacturing solution.

At Airborne, we believe the strongest solutions are developed through close partnerships. We combine our expertise in composite manufacturing with our customers' product knowledge and operational requirements. Whether you are industrialising a new autonomous system, preparing for higher production volumes or exploring local manufacturing capacity, we can help define the next step.

Airborne at a glance
200
Employees (FTE)
1995
Established
2
Manufacturing locations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands
3
Markets: aerospace, defence and automotive

Talk to our defence manufacturing team

Let's discuss how to make your production ambitions achievable.

Talk to our defence manufacturing team
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