Two industry representatives said the site was meant to hit initial operating capacity in February, but had not yet been opened due to a combination of factors — including the continued postponement of Britain’s long-promised Defence Investment Plan (DIP).
Keir Starmer has faced sustained criticism over his failure to bring forward the plan — originally promised in late 2025. The DIP is meant to allocate government funding to tackle a host of threats identified in a government-wide defense review over the next ten years.
But two people familiar with the facility — one of the same industry figures cited above and a local councillor — said part of the reason that the Swindon plant had stalled was that Downing Street had planned for Starmer to open the facility when he launches the DIP, which is still in limbo.
Starmer is currently trying to signal stability as he faces ongoing challenges to his leadership, as part of which he is expected to boost defense spending.
However, Downing Street has not yet earmarked a date for the release of the DIP, according to a senior government official, despite pressure to make the announcement ahead of the forthcoming G7 and NATO summits. No. 10 declined to comment when approached.
The town has already attracted extensive investment from defense tech firms specializing in drones, including German-owned Stark, British start-up Flyby Technology, and Portugal-based Tekever.