The United Kingdom has made progress in developing a family of low-cost turbojet engines designed for mass production. According to analysts at Defense Express, the project is being carried out through a partnership between the British Ministry of Defence and the startup Alloyed.
The initiative involves a line of engines with thrust ranging from 30 to 2000 N. The British government reports that these are being designed and manufactured using digital technologies. London emphasizes that building domestic production capacity is essential for strengthening the country’s defense capabilities and deterring potential threats.
Technical specifications and mass production
One engine, a model with 1100 N of thrust, was developed in just seven months and has already entered mass production. An engine with 300 N of thrust is also being produced at scale. Defense Express notes that this level of thrust is sufficient for a jet-powered drone with a takeoff weight of approximately 100–150 kg, depending on the required thrust-to-weight ratio.
These power plants are highly compact. For comparison, the MTJ300 turbojet engine produced by AviaNera—part of the Czech Czechoslovak Group—offers similar thrust. It weighs only 2.5 kg, measures 32.2 cm in length, and has a diameter of 13.4 cm.
Meanwhile, the 1100 N engine is suitable for significantly larger aircraft, including cruise missiles with a launch weight of approximately 500–800 kg.
Connection to the Brakestop project
The British design is similar in performance to the Czech PBS TJ100 engine from PBS Aerospace. This engine is used in the British Crossbow cruise missile, currently being developed by MBDA. The missile has a launch weight of 750 kg, with a 300 kg warhead. The Crossbow is 5.3 meters long, has a wingspan of 3 meters, and a stated range of up to 800 km.
The Crossbow is part of the Brakestop project, which aims to provide Ukraine with low-cost, mass-producible cruise missiles. The missile is already undergoing testing, and MBDA plans to begin large-scale production this year.
Defense Express analysts believe the British program to develop and mass-produce compact turbojet engines addresses the need for affordable, long-range jet-powered strike weapons. They suggest these engines could power long-range drones and cruise missiles intended for transfer to Ukraine for strikes against targets within Russia.
«In other words, the UK’s efforts to master the mass production of small-scale turbojet engines are aimed at ensuring the serial production of long-range jet-powered strike weapons, which will be transferred to Ukraine for strikes,» the analysts noted.
Source: UNIAN
