The British government is funding a new drone degree as it looks to modernise the country’s armed forces amid a fast-changing threat landscape.

The three-year undergraduate degree, set to commence at the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) in Hereford this September, will provide young people with fast-track entry into defence engineering roles focused on advanced military technology.

The British Army has invested £240,000 to set up the course, which will help 15 civilians and five soldiers per year acquire the knowledge required to build a career as a drone technology expert.

Al Carns MP, the minister for armed forces, travelled to Hereford yesterday to observe progress at NMITE and see how army funding is making the drone degree possible.

In a statement, he said: “This degree gives young engineers a fast track to careers at the cutting edge, protecting Britain and powering growth in places like Hereford.

“These graduates will strengthen our Armed Forces and help push forward advances in civilian and commercial drone technology, developing homegrown talent, building British capabilities, from battlefield to business.”

The launch of the Hereford-based drone degree comes less than a year after the government launched the Strategic Defence Review. Announced in June 2025, it aims to increase the lethal force of Britain’s military tenfold by leveraging innovations like drones, AI, and autonomous systems.

Britain has been helping train Ukraine on drone-based warfare in its war against Russia and, just last year, pledged £350 million of government funding to shore up Ukrainian defences with tens of thousands of drones.

The country also sees drones as a key part of its own domestic security. This week, UK government officials announced plans to leverage Ukrainian drone battlefield tactics to tackle the scourge of drones being used to bring contraband into British prisons.

Those excited about such drone developments can express interest in the Hereford three-year degree via a dedicated form on the NMITE website. There’s also an engineering master’s degree available.

James Newby, chief executive of NMITE, added: “This degree reflects the scale of the opportunity in front of us - to equip the next generation of engineers with skills that matter now, and to quickly deliver positive impacts in terms of skills, defence and a security capability and regional growth. The fact that we expect many local young people to take on the degree and build their futures with us, is incredibly exciting.”

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