The UK Ministry of Defence recently announced a contract with Modini for the supply of long-range kamikaze drones, referred to in British terminology as One Way Effectors (OWE).
The contract includes the delivery of an undisclosed number of unnamed drones over a period of 24 months, totaling £7.5 million ($9.4 million). The procurement of this drone was made on a sole-source basis, as only Modini can provide a drone with the specified characteristics within the tight timeline starting from 2025.
Although the name of the ordered drone has not been disclosed, the only known project from the company is the Dart 250, a jet drone with a range of over 250 km and a payload capacity of up to 25 kg, equipped with an advanced navigation system that allows terrain-following flight.
Additionally, in 2024, an anti-ECM version of the Dart 250EW drone was introduced, featuring a passive seeker head for locating radio jamming sources. Moreover, the company is also developing a reconnaissance variant of this UAV.
According to UK Defence Journal, the deployment of drones is part of Operation Cabrit - a NATO operation led by the UK to enhance its presence in the Baltic region to deter Russian aggression. Thus, the Dart 250 will be specifically directed against Russia.
On the other hand, Defense Express notes that the image of the Dart 250 may evoke certain associations with a drone that one Ukrainian journalist positioned as a Ukrainian development. During the uncertainty regarding the appearance of "Palyanytsia", it could have been mistaken for it.
The reasons for this situation are currently unknown, as is any involvement of Ukraine in Modini's activities, which has been operating since 2006 in the small town of Pewsey in Wiltshire, southern England. However, it is quite possible that the Dart 250 has already undergone its combat baptism and proven its effectiveness in practice.