German startup ARX Robotics has announced plans to invest £45mn into a new UK facility, where it will build autonomous battlefield robots for deployment in war zones around the world.

Located at an undisclosed site in southwest England, ARX expects the plant to produce 1,800 ground-based drones each year once up and running.

ARX’s battlefield robots look like small tanks — but without guns. The vehicles drive around on treads and can be fitted with equipment such as radar, mine-sweeping devices, or medical stretchers. 

The largest of ARX’s machines carries military payloads weighing up to 500kg — including injured soldiers — across the battlefield. Another model acts as a moving target-practice device, while another carries aerial drones into combat. 

The robots are modular, built using off-the-shelf components. They’re designed so soldiers can fix them on the battlefield within minutes, without tools. The drones move around autonomously, but military personnel can also control them remotely from a tablet.

The armed forces of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, and the UK have already conducted field tests of ARX’s technology. In February, the company delivered 30 of its war bots to Ukrainian Armed Forces units engaged in active combat.  

Marc Wietfeld, ARX’s CEO — who will speak at TNW Conference in June — said the facility in Britain would contribute to the “long-term technological sovereignty” of both the UK and broader Europe. He noted that we live in an “increasingly volatile and fast-moving world.” 

“This is about strengthening European resilience, through technological sovereignty, scalable autonomy, and the modernisation of land forces,” he said.

Defence tech rising in Europe

​In response to escalating geopolitical tensions, European nations have pledged substantial increases in defence spending in recent months. 

In March 2025, EU leaders endorsed the “ReArm Europe” plan, aiming to mobilise up to £683bn (€800bn) over the next four years to enhance military capabilities. Similarly, the UK government has committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP and wants to spend at least 10% of its defence budget on “innovative technologies”. 

ARX looks to capitalise on this political momentum. 

The UK Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, said he “warmly welcomed” the startup’s £45mn investment into the UK. “It will create highly skilled jobs and support European security,” Healey said.

Wietfeld founded ARX in 2022 alongside fellow German army veterans Stefan Röbel and Maximilian Wied. Last year, the company raised £7.7mn (€9mn) in seed funding from NATO’s innovation fund. 

Marc Wietfeld will share his insights at TNW Conference, which takes place on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. Tickets for the event are now on sale. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the check-out to get 30% off the price tag.