From SkyShark to Shpak: Drones and enablers to watch at DSEI 2025
September 4, 2025
The biennial DSEI military exhibition will open at Excel London next week, attracting thousands of exhibitors from around the world. The event will feature everything from next-generation aircraft to new propulsion technologies. One area expected to stand out this year is the large number of advanced drones on display.
Uncrewed systems taking the spotlight at DSEI 2025
DSEI (Defence and Security Equipment International) 2025 will bring together more than 1,600 defence and security suppliers, showcasing the future of military technology across land, sea, air, and space.
In the aerospace domain, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) are expected to take centre stage. While footage from Ukraine has highlighted short-ranged tactical FPV drones, the exhibition will look beyond the tactical to the strategic, focusing on deep-strike and ISR capabilities as well.
At the same time, nations are racing to develop 6th-generation fighter jet enablers. The UK, Japan, and Italy are collaborating on GCAP and will be evaluating drones for potential loyal wingman roles.
Turkey has emerged as a leader in the UAS sector, and its new advanced carrier-capable Kızılelma drone is being considered by the UK for its next-generation fighter.
While large and expensive loyal wingman drones often dominate headlines, DSEI 2025 is set to showcase a range of smaller but equally vital systems. Here are some of the UAVs that aerospace fans should watch for.
MGI Engineering’s next-generation SkyShark drone
One of the highlights of the exhibition will be MGI Engineering’s SkyShark military drone, unveiled in July at Enstone Airfield in Oxfordshire. Designed for ISR, strike, and decoy operations in GPS-denied or highly contested environments, SkyShark is entirely British-made in partnership with Argive Ltd.
The drone is powered by Greenjets HS125 electric ducted-fan engines, designed for low-signature missions. MGI says SkyShark represents a sovereign rapid-strike capability for the UK at low cost and scalable production.
Additive manufacturing will also play a role. According to 3D Printing Industry, SkyShark’s propulsion unit is 3D-printed, reducing component count by a factor of four compared with conventional turbines. This promises lighter, more compact power systems with reduced maintenance needs — part of a global trend toward additive manufacturing in UAV propulsion.
In the United States, Beehive Industries has recently unveiled its Rampart engines for unmanned aircraft that feature 3D printed critical propulsion components.
Tekever AR3 EVO
The Tekever AR3 Evolution is another notably small long-endurance UAV designed to support a wide range of land and maritime operations, being exhibited at DSEI UK 2025. Tekever says the AR3 VTOL is the smallest UAV in the market to “feature a high-performance, dual side-looking SAR.”
The AR3 is able to be adapted to support missions requiring longer endurance and is able to fly for eight to 16 hours. It is also designed to excel in GPS- and communications-denied environments.
The aircraft is advertised as being affordable, versatile, having a very small logistical footprint, and offering next-generation autonomy.
Tekever is a leading British company in the unmanned systems technology market and is developing a lineup of various drones as well as next-generation satellite systems.
RSI Europe’s Shpak FPV drone system
One small FPV drone found at the exhibition is RSI Europe’s Shpak FPV drone, designed to execute precision strikes on enemy targets. It is designed to enhance operational versatility, precision, and survivability in modern military operations.
The drone might look typical of the Ukrainian war and combines the accuracy of anti-guided missiles with the extended range of indirect fire (like artillery). It is touted as highly effective for intercepting armed targets with “exceptional precision.”
The drone even comes with a specialised fibre optic version that makes it completely resistant to electronic jamming and remote takeover. Other optional add-ons include thermal imaging, AI-based terminal guidance, and standardised munition interfaces.
RSI European claims the Shpak FPV offers advanced frequency-hopping technology and is resilient against electronic warfare, enabling it to perform in contested environments. The fibre optic version is able to provide a flawless video transmission over a 20-kilometre range.
It is able to carry up to 5 kg of payload, although it is optimised for a 2 kg payload over a 20 km distance. It has a service ceiling of up to 3 kilometres and strikes targets at a maximum speed of 150 km/h (93 mph).
DBOX autonomous drone box
Finally, DSEI will also feature DBOX, a fully autonomous drone-in-a-box system built for defence, border, infrastructure, and other surveillance. It is a state-of-the-art autonomous drone docking station providing value in monitoring large-scale and remote assets.
While it has a military function, it is also well-suited to monitoring transmission lines, power poles, substations, transformers, solar installations, traffic, national parks, and more.
In civil use, it can be used to inspect hard-to-access areas and check for things like fallen trees and avalanches. It is designed for 24/7 operations in harsh environments, and its AI-powered system handles deployment, charging, and flight without the need for human input.
Its website emphasises its use in surveying infrastructure, aiding smart cities, helping police and security services monitor crowds or borders, and working with agriculture, where it can track livestock and monitor crop fields.
DSEI 2025 will kick off at Excel London on Tuesday, 10 September, running through Friday, 13 September.
