British counter-drone company OpenWorks expands into the U.S.
OpenWorks Engineering has opened a U.S. regional headquarters in Virginia and plans to add American manufacturing in Detroit before the end of 2026.
British counter-drone company OpenWorks Engineering is putting down roots in the United States. The Northumberland-based defense technology company has opened a regional American headquarters in Ashburn, Virginia and plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Detroit, Michigan before the end of 2026.
The expansion follows a sharp acceleration in demand for OpenWorks' counter-UAS, air defense and surveillance technology. Product adoption increased fourfold between 2025 and mid-2026, while the company's workforce has grown from just 26 people in 2024 to 125 today.
From Northumberland to Northern Virginia
OpenWorks was founded in Northumberland more than a decade ago and will keep its global headquarters in North East England. Its new American subsidiary gives the company a permanent base in Ashburn, placing it inside Northern Virginia's major defense and technology ecosystem.
The move builds on years of activity in the American market. OpenWorks says its U.S. team has developed relationships with defense and security companies including Anduril Industries, Epirus, Echodyne, Fortem Technologies, Thinkom, Clear Align, Thales USA and Pratt Miller Defense.
Detroit is next
Opening a headquarters is only the first stage of OpenWorks' American expansion. The company also plans to establish a production facility in Detroit before the end of 2026, creating a U.S. manufacturing footprint for its defense technology.
Chris Bigwood has joined OpenWorks as Executive Vice President with responsibility for business development and corporate strategy in North America. He will also lead the opening of the Detroit facility, which OpenWorks says was selected in part for the region's engineering and manufacturing talent.
A counter-drone company growing fast
OpenWorks started with physical drone-capture technology, including its SkyWall Patrol system, but has expanded into autonomous optical systems for detecting, identifying, tracking and targeting aerial threats at long range.
Its Vision product family uses intelligent optics and AI-powered classification for counter-UAS, air defense and surveillance applications. Vision Flex, its modular surveillance and tracking system, has seen production capability increase 2.75 times over the past year.
The company says its products are already widely used in the United States. Earlier in 2026, OpenWorks also delivered training to FBI operators on its technology to support operational readiness.
“Our shared passion for engineering excellence is what took us from that small office in Northumberland, all the way to this expansion into the United States.”
Why the U.S. expansion matters
OpenWorks is moving beyond simply exporting British defense technology into America. A regional headquarters in Virginia, dedicated North American leadership and planned manufacturing in Michigan point to a deeper localization strategy.
The timing is notable too. With product adoption quadrupling and the team nearly five times larger than it was in 2024, OpenWorks is using that growth to establish a permanent American presence rather than serving the market exclusively from the UK.
For Scaling in America, it is a strong example of the next stage of European defense-tech expansion: establish U.S. customers and partnerships first, then put leadership, operations and ultimately manufacturing on American soil.
