STARK Defence

STARK Defence is a technology-driven defence company founded in 2024, developing unmanned systems across multiple domains for European and NATO defence needs. Its work spans unmanned systems, loitering munitions, autonomous systems, mission control software and unmanned surface vessels. The company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with a production facility in Swindon, in the UK.

Its product line includes the OWE-V Virtus, a flagship loitering munition designed to engage ground and strategic targets and deployed in Ukraine in combat conditions; Minerva, mission control software for unmanned systems; and Vanta, unmanned surface vessels. Systems have been deployed in Ukraine against a range of ground and strategic targets, and the company has secured contracts with the German Bundeswehr and other NATO partners.

For designers and other creative professionals, the relevant work sits across hardware product design, software interface design within Minerva, and the visual and technical communication of complex defence systems. STARK Defence works directly with battlefield operators to ensure its systems meet real-world needs, and tests equipment in actual combat conditions. The company describes its approach in terms of pace and operational realism, with an emphasis on delivering capability quickly rather than over long development cycles.