Another military drone company sets up in Swindon
The company was founded by a former Norwegian paratrooper
Another military drone manufacturing business is setting up in Swindon.
Munin Dynamics only employs five people at the moment, but its founder and owner Magnus Freyer is hopeful of expansion now the company has moved to a new premises in the borough.
Mr Freyer has an interesting background, taking a master’s degree in mechatronics at the prestigious Stanford University in California in the US but also having served as a paratrooper in the Norwegian special forces.
He founded Munin Dynamics to build small, low-cost arms systems able to be used to counter drone attacks – as seen to such devastating effect in the Russian war in Ukraine.
Mr Freyer said: “After hitchhiking into Ukraine to see where I could help, I saw the scale of the drone problem: cheap FPV (remotely controlled) drones devastating soldiers, with no scalable answer.
“I’ve personally funded this to set up a small team in Swindon, combining British talent and Ukrainian frontline feedback.
“Our vision is simple: mass-produce in the UK, deliver to Ukraine, and scale to NATO, showing how British talent can protect soldiers and reshape defence.”
The company is going into production with the world’s cheapest, smallest missile system with the aim of taking out FPV drones on the battlefield.
The news of Munin Dynamics setting up in Swindon comes after German drone manufacturer Stark announced that it was opening a factory in Swindon in July, with the expectation of bringing 10 new jobs to the town
Swindon North MP Will Stone, himself a former soldier in The Rifles, and one of the government’s business champions, particularly looking at defence businesses, has welcomed Munin Dynamics’ arrival in the borough.
He said: “I am absolutely ecstatic about Munin Dynamics choosing to set up in the Swindon area.
“It is an initiative company that is at the forefront of new age military technology.
“Having another defence company set up in Swindon highlights that we are transitioning into becoming a drone manufacturing hub supporting the nation’s security. I look forward to working alongside them to help them expand their business.”
Neither Stark nor Munin Dynamics has disclosed the exact location of their factories on security grounds.