NMITE advances into drone tech with Army’s aid
27 Jan 2026
The New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) is inviting applications for its recently announced Autonomous Robotics degree, launched in conjunction with the British Army.
At a launch event attended by armed forces minister Al Carns, the British Army’s head of future force development and members of the Army’s Experimentation and Trials Group, academic lead professor Alex Stancu said it would combine “engineering fundamentals with hands-on experience”.
The first students on the MEng (Hons) Integrated Engineering (Autonomous Robotics) course are expected to begin in the new academic year beginning September 2026.
Hereford-based NMITE secured the involvement of the Army which has invested £240,000 in the development of the three year degree, which is designed to train military as well as civilian personnel.
The Army’s official website said the degree formed part of broader efforts to deliver the Strategic Defence Review, with up to five soldiers a year training as drone technology specialists.
Quoted on the site, Colonel Toby Till of Army Training said the drone project was key to the armed forces’ development.
“What we’re doing here with our partners at NMITE and local drone companies is to learn how to build, fix and upgrade drones to help in any future fight we may be involved in,” he said.
“By this time next year, we want every brigade in the Army to have dipped into NMITE.”
The course is expected to attract a sizeable component of students across all industrial fields and other areas also. NMITE is inviting those interested in applying to contact the university for information.
