Key Points
- FlightGlobal reports that Anduril Industries is seeking a new UK chief after Richard “Rich” Drake is stepping away from his leadership role.
- Richard Drake became General Manager of Anduril UK and Europe in 2023, taking responsibility for the company’s continued growth in the UK and wider European region.
- Drake has been a prominent figure in Anduril’s UK expansion, particularly across autonomous systems, robotics, artificial intelligence and defence technology.
- In February 2026, AtkinsRéalis and Anduril UK announced a teaming agreement focused on safety, assurance, regulatory expertise and sovereign autonomous systems for British defence programmes, with Drake identified as Managing Director of Anduril UK.
- Drake has also publicly represented Anduril on the development and deployment of autonomous technologies, including the company’s Lattice command-and-control system and autonomous aircraft programmes.
- As of August 2026, Universal Defence and Security Solutions was still publicly describing Richard Drake as General Manager of Anduril Industries UK, highlighting the timing of the reported leadership change.
- Anduril’s UK operation has continued to expand its workforce and technology activities, including work around autonomous aircraft, AI-enabled command-and-control systems and sovereign UK defence capabilities.
- No successor should be presented as appointed unless Anduril confirms one; FlightGlobal’s report concerns the search for a new UK chief.
- The leadership change comes as Anduril continues developing its position in the UK defence technology market and working with British industrial and government-linked partners.
FlightGlobal reports that Anduril Industries is looking for a new UK chief following Richard Drake’s departure from the leadership position he has held since joining the company in 2023. The change places a senior leadership vacancy at the centre of Anduril’s expanding UK operation, which has been building capabilities around autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, software, robotics and defence technology.
Why is Anduril looking for a new UK chief?
According to FlightGlobal, Anduril Industries is seeking a replacement for Richard Drake, who has been the company’s senior UK leader since 2023.
The development represents a change at the top of an increasingly active UK operation for the US defence technology company. Drake joined Anduril after a senior career in the British engineering and defence sector and was appointed General Manager of Anduril UK and Europe.
When Anduril announced Drake’s appointment, the company said he would be responsible for overseeing its continued growth in the UK and the broader European region.
FlightGlobal’s report therefore comes against the background of a leadership role that has been closely connected with Anduril’s expansion in Britain.
The company has established relationships across the UK defence sector and has increasingly positioned autonomous systems and AI-enabled capabilities as part of its contribution to Britain’s evolving defence technology landscape.
The immediate question is who will succeed Drake. FlightGlobal’s report indicates that Anduril is seeking a new UK chief, rather than announcing that a replacement has already been appointed.
What role did Richard Drake hold at Anduril?
Richard Drake, also referred to by Anduril and industry organisations as Rich Drake, joined the company in 2023 as its General Manager for the UK and Europe.
Anduril’s announcement at the time described Drake as responsible for the company’s growth in the UK and wider European region.
Drake brought experience from Babcock International Group, where he had served as Chief Technology Officer. Industry biographies also identify his academic and professional background in engineering, including a PhD in mechanical engineering and a Master’s degree in engineering design. He has also been associated with the Royal Academy of Engineering Medal for Pandemic Service.
His background was particularly relevant to Anduril because the company’s UK activities span engineering, autonomous systems, software, artificial intelligence and defence applications.
The leadership position also required engagement with Britain’s defence establishment, industrial partners and organisations working on emerging military technologies.
In February 2026, for example, AtkinsRéalis announced a teaming agreement with Anduril UK aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous aircraft for UK defence programmes. The announcement identified Drake as Managing Director of Anduril UK.
What was Richard Drake’s role in Anduril’s UK expansion?
Drake’s tenure coincided with a period in which Anduril increased its emphasis on developing technology specifically for the British defence environment.
AtkinsRéalis said its agreement with Anduril UK would provide safety, assurance and regulatory expertise intended to support autonomous aircraft programmes. The companies also highlighted areas including emerging certification pathways, assurance standards and cyber security.
Drake described the collaboration as being concerned with how the UK builds and fields modern defence systems rather than focusing on a single platform. According to the AtkinsRéalis announcement, he said the partnership was intended to help create sovereign autonomous capability that could be delivered faster alongside British defence-sector partners.
That relationship illustrates the increasingly important role of industrial partnerships in Anduril’s UK strategy.
The company has also promoted the idea of sovereign capability, including UK-based research and development, manufacturing and supply-chain participation.
According to Anduril’s UK information included in the AtkinsRéalis announcement, the company has operated in Britain since 2019 and has secured contracts involving end users including the Royal Marines and Strategic Command. It said the UK business intended to continue expanding its footprint through high-value technology manufacturing and research and development.
How important are autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to Anduril’s UK operation?
Autonomous systems and artificial intelligence are central to Anduril’s business model and have been prominent in Drake’s public representation of the company.
The company’s technology portfolio includes autonomous aircraft, unmanned systems and Lattice, its software platform for connecting sensors, systems and effects.
In April 2026, Hannah King of BFBS Forces News reported on the British Army’s use of Lattice as part of efforts to integrate different assets and make the process of identifying and engaging targets more efficient. King reported that Drake described the system as removing the need for personnel to move between separate systems and manually transfer information.
Drake has also spoken publicly about other Anduril programmes.
In reporting associated with the UK defence technology sector, he has discussed systems including Fury, Ghost, Bolt and Lattice, while Anduril has continued to develop autonomous aircraft and other systems for military applications.
At the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, the Royal Aeronautical Society reported on Anduril’s unveiling of the Thunder tiltrotor combat drone. The organisation identified Drake as Anduril UK’s General Manager in its coverage of the company’s programme.
These activities demonstrate the breadth of the UK operation that the incoming leader will inherit.
What recent evidence shows about Drake’s position before the reported change?
The timing of the leadership change is notable because Richard Drake continued to appear publicly in the role during 2026.
Universal Defence and Security Solutions published information in August 2026 describing an upcoming event featuring Richard Drake PhD FIMechE, then identified as General Manager of Anduril Industries UK. The organisation said Drake would discuss the impact of autonomous vehicles on defence and described him as leading Anduril’s UK work in robotics and artificial intelligence.
Drake has also remained active in Anduril’s public communications.
Recent professional-network activity shows Drake interacting with Anduril employees and discussing the company’s UK work. For example, Anduril’s UK team has been recruiting engineering personnel for programmes including Thunder, while Drake has continued to appear in communications surrounding the company’s activities.
This makes the FlightGlobal report significant as a current leadership development rather than a change that had been publicly established for a long period.
What does the leadership search mean for Anduril’s UK business?
The search for a new UK chief comes while Anduril is developing several strands of its British business simultaneously.
One is sovereign defence technology. The company has stated that it wants to strengthen UK capabilities through investment in research and development, autonomous systems and AI-enabled command-and-control technology.
Another is collaboration with established British engineering and defence organisations.
The AtkinsRéalis agreement is one example. The partnership brings together Anduril’s software-focused and autonomous-systems work with AtkinsRéalis’ experience in assurance, regulation and defence delivery.
A third area is workforce expansion.
Recent professional information shows Anduril recruiting across engineering, programme management, software and other specialist positions in the UK. Anduril’s international talent operation has also been expanding, with David Horrix recently announcing that he had taken responsibility for talent acquisition across international markets including EMEA and APAC.
Consequently, the next UK leader will take responsibility for a business that extends beyond a single defence programme.
What other leadership changes are taking place around Anduril’s international business?
Anduril’s international organisation has also been adding senior personnel as it expands outside the United States.
For example, Maxwell Litton recently announced that he had joined Anduril as its first employee in the Nordic region after almost two decades with Saab and Saab UK.
Anduril has also appointed senior personnel elsewhere in Europe and NATO-related markets.
These developments provide wider context for the UK leadership search. The company is not operating its international business solely through one UK office; rather, it is building a broader network of regional leadership, recruitment and technology activity.
For the UK specifically, however, the replacement for Drake will inherit responsibility for one of Anduril’s most developed European operations.
What could the next Anduril UK chief be expected to oversee?
The eventual appointee will inherit responsibilities spanning technology development, industrial partnerships, recruitment, government and defence-sector engagement and the continued development of UK-based capabilities.
Anduril’s existing UK portfolio includes autonomous aircraft and other uncrewed systems, AI-enabled software, command-and-control capabilities and work connected with maritime and defence applications.
The company’s partnership with AtkinsRéalis also demonstrates the importance of regulatory assurance and cyber security alongside technical development.
The next leader will therefore be operating at the intersection of engineering, software, artificial intelligence, defence procurement and industrial strategy.
For organisations working across Artificial Intelligence (AI), Safety and Security, Project Management, Management and Leadership, and IT and Computer, the developments surrounding Anduril illustrate how rapidly emerging technologies are becoming connected with complex organisational and defence programmes. These areas increasingly require professionals who understand not only individual technologies but also programme delivery, governance, assurance and cross-sector collaboration.
What happens next for Anduril Industries UK?
For now, the key development is the search for a successor to Richard Drake.
FlightGlobal’s report establishes the leadership change and Anduril’s search for a new UK chief, while other recent public sources show the scale of activity Drake has overseen during his time with the company. Anduril has not, in the sources reviewed for this report, announced a successor who should be treated as confirmed.
The timing comes after a period of significant activity involving autonomous aircraft, AI-enabled command-and-control systems, UK industrial partnerships and expansion of Anduril’s British workforce.
Richard Drake’s tenure has included engagement with government and defence-sector stakeholders, industry partnerships and public discussion of autonomous technologies. His departure therefore marks a change in leadership at a time when Anduril’s UK operation continues to develop.
As the company searches for its next UK chief, attention will be on how Anduril maintains continuity across its existing programmes while determining the leadership approach for the next stage of its UK and European expansion.
For professionals involved in defence technology and related corporate operations, the development also highlights the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Safety and Security, Project Management, Management and Leadership, and IT and Computer Science in organisations developing and deploying complex autonomous systems.