UK firm MGI Engineering launches SkyShark loitering munition

UK firm MGI Engineering has unveiled its SkyShark loitering munition, a next-generation military Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) platform designed to transform battlefield operations with speed and precision, the company says. The jet-powered version of the SkyShark will be powered by a 3D-printed microturbo engine manufactured by fellow UK company Argive

At Enstone Airfield in Oxfordshire, MGI demonstrated its SkyShark One-Way Effector (OWE) platform and revealed two variants of the Skyshark OWE platform:

• SkyShark with Argive A300 Gas Turbine Engines – Developed in collaboration with Oxford-based Argive Ltd, this version uses UK sovereign propulsion, offering rapid deployment and strike capability without reliance on overseas manufacturers
• SkyShark with Greenjets’ HS125 Electric Ducted Fan Engines – A quiet, fully electric powertrain designed for low-signature missions, highlighting the potential for efficient, cost-effective and scalable drone operations in high-risk theatres.

Compact, cost-effective and rapidly manufacturable at scale, SkyShark is designed to conduct ISR, strike, and decoy operations in GPS-denied or highly contested environments, making it a strategic asset in an era of asymmetric warfare, says MGI Engineering.

“In an era of strategic instability, we believe the UK must move fast, think independently, and build smart,” said Mike Gascoyne, founder and CEO at MGI Engineering. “SkyShark is our contribution to the UK overcoming the challenge of long-range, low-cost and scalable OWEs. From propulsion to payload, everything we’ve launched today was designed, built, and tested on home soil.”

Most of the world’s military powers are exploring UASs of different sizes and for different roles. In May Australia’s ASCA (Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator) issued an RFT for a sovereign loitering munition capability under Mission Talent Strike. Defence is due to announce its selection soon.

Argive, a UK business owned by Oxfordshire-based materials engineering company Alloyed Limited, specialises in microturbines and other propulsion technologies. It developed the high-performance, 3D printed microturbo engine that powers SkyShark. The company has designed a compact, efficient, and sovereign propulsion system that delivers exceptional thrust-to-weight performance for tactical strike missions, says MGI Engineering.

Rob Joles, Commercial Director at Argive, said: “Our advanced metal manufacturing and design technologies enabled a new generation of lightweight, efficient, and fully sovereign gas turbines that give SkyShark an unmatched tactical edge at range.”

London company Greenjets, leaders in electric high-speed propulsion, partnered with MGI to create the fully electric variant of SkyShark. Designed for low-signature missions, this version combines efficient energy with military-grade performance, offering a quiet, low-signature platform for ISR and strike missions in high-risk theatres, MGI Engineering says.

“Our mission at Greenjets is to bring high-performance electric propulsion to the aviation world,” said Dr Guido Monterzino, CTO at Greenjets. “The electric powered SkyShark proves that tactical capability doesn’t mean compromising on cost or operational effectiveness. It’s a scalable platform for modern operations, and a glimpse of where defence aviation could be heading.”