MBDA Invests in Hybrid Drones, Maker of Jet-Electric Hydra 400 UAV
UK defence firm MBDA acquires stake in SME Hybrid Drones Ltd to support the development of heavy-lift UAV technologies and advance sovereign capabilities
MBDA has made a strategic investment in Hybrid Drones Ltd, a UK-based small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) known for developing the hybrid-powered Hydra 400 uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV).
This marks one of the first direct investments by MBDA in a UK SME.
The Hydra 400 is a heavy-lift drone powered by a combination of electric rotors and jet turbines. It is designed for multi-role missions including cargo transport, casualty evacuation, and integration with weapon systems. Its modular design allows rapid deployment—assembled in minutes from the back of a flatbed truck—and can be configured as fully electric or hybrid with up to six jet engines.
MBDA’s investment turns the defence prime into a shareholder of Hybrid Drones Ltd.
The collaboration between the two companies began during the British Army’s Warfighting Experiment, which tests emerging defence technologies. That partnership laid the foundation for MBDA’s current move to integrate its weapon systems—known as effectors—into the Hydra UAV.
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