British technology companies are being given access to extensive Ukrainian battlefield data to develop new artificial intelligence models for advanced drone systems.

The Ministry of Defence announced on 25 September 2026 that up to 12 UK companies will be able to compete for access to data from Ukraine's Avengers AI Labs. The database contains imagery and video collected by uncrewed aerial systems using daylight and thermal sensors.

The initiative is part of the UK-Ukraine AI Partnership and represents the first competition under the partnership. Companies will be invited to propose ways of using the data to develop AI models for the next generation of battlefield drones.

The technology being explored includes AI-enabled target recognition and distributed decision-making, with the aim of allowing drone systems to adapt their routes and behaviour when communications or satellite navigation are disrupted.

The government says drone swarms could have applications ranging from logistics and resupply to surveillance and defence operations, while maintaining human involvement in their operation.

The development highlights the growing role of AI, autonomous systems and real-world data in the UK's technology and defence innovation sectors.