Archer Aviation has announced plans to establish a new UK engineering hub in South West England, reinforcing its commitment to the British aerospace and defence sector and supporting ongoing collaboration with Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace.

 

The new hub will operate under Archer’s newly established UK subsidiary, Archer Aviation UK Limited, and will focus on building and growing a local engineering team to support the company’s work in the region. South West England was selected for its long-standing heritage in aerospace and defence.

 

The announcement follows last week’s confirmation from Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace of their joint work in support of the British Army’s Project NYX and the Ministry of Defence’s Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform programme. The collaboration will also explore additional opportunities at GKN Aerospace’s Isle of Wight airframe production facility.

 

GKN Aerospace, a UK-based global aerospace manufacturing supplier, will work alongside Archer and Anduril, with Archer contributing its latest developments in eVTOL aircraft technology and hybrid propulsion. These capabilities are intended to support the British Army’s evolving operational requirements.

 

As part of the expansion, Archer confirmed that Dr Limhi Somerville will join the company in early 2026. Dr Somerville is recognised as one of the UK’s leading eVTOL engineering specialists and joins Archer from Vertical Aerospace, where he spent six years and most recently led the company’s engineering programme. His previous experience includes engineering and research roles at Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Warwick.

 

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Somerville said Archer is combining innovation with the capital, manufacturing capability and strategic partnerships required to deliver next-generation aerospace and defence technologies at scale. He noted that the opportunity to support development of a dual-use vertical lift platform was a compelling prospect.

 

Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said the UK has the talent and industrial base to play a significant role in the next phase of advanced aerospace and defence. He added that the new engineering hub underlines Archer’s intention to become an integral part of the UK’s aerospace and defence landscape, while the appointment of Dr Somerville is a key step in accelerating development of the company’s hybrid-propulsion, dual-use aircraft.

 

The UK expansion aligns with recent remarks from the Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry highlighting the defence sector’s role in driving long-term economic growth. Working alongside Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace, Archer plans to invest in local engineering talent and create high-skill roles aligned with the UK’s defence priorities.