British Army’s Drone Degree Program Set to Take Flight
22nd January 2026
The UK government is investing in a defense-focused degree course to train both civilian students and soldiers to become drone technology specialists. However, it’s only targeting a small number of people.
According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Department for Education (DfE), this new course will open for enrolment at the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) in Hereford in the west of England from September this year.
The degree course forms part of a broader effort to deliver on the aspirations outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, published in mid-2025, to enhance the capabilities of the British Army through AI, drones, and autonomous systems.
By building a pipeline of homegrown talent with specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills, the MoD hopes to address critical workforce gaps while aiming to push the UK’s expertise in next-generation military capabilities.
As is often the case with much-trumpeted initiatives, the actual amount of funding made available – a £240,000 (about $322,000) investment from the British Army – hardly seems commensurate with the government’s ambitions for it.
The three-year course aims to train 15 civilian students and up to five soldiers each year to become drone technology specialists.
British degree programs, unlike those in the U.S., ordinarily take three years.
Hereford is where the headquarters of the Special Air Service is located.