Uplift360 and Leonardo form partnership to reuse carbon fibre

Uplift 360 and Leonardo are partnering to find ways to reuse carbon fibre in defence. If successful, the pairing could pave the way for the wider adoption of recycled end-of-life materials.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published on March 27, 2026.

Uplift360 and Leonardo have announced a partnership to advance the recycling of defence materials. Announced on March 26, the two companies are aiming to get regenerated composites accredited and integrated into Leonardo’s supply chain. #

The announcement follows an earlier demonstration where the two companies recycled a helicopter rotor blade into a structural component for a drone. That test proved the feasibility of Uplift360’s technology and processes. The company has developed two distinct methods for recovering end-of-life materials: Renew is used for aramid fibres, often used in body armour and vehicles. ChemR is designed to recover resins like those used in helicopter rotor blades.

With a recent funding round of £6.7 million, Uplift360 is planning to build a pilot plant that can produce up to seven tonnes of recycled carbon fibre per year. “Our goal is to move beyond traditional end-of-life disposal models and create a genuinely circular approach to defence manufacturing,” Professor Simon Harwood, UK Capability Director, Leonardo, said. 

Leonardo also has established credentials in assurance, which will help facilitate the process of accreditation. In a nutshell, the parts produced by the Uplift360 process will need to prove that they are reliable and can meet requirements. There is some precedent for new materials, most prominently in 3D printing. In that scenario, some users accept 3D printed components with a lower structural strength than the original. The idea is that those printed parts can keep a platform operational until a machined metal part can be provided. 

Calibre comment: Defence and recycling

Defence can be a wasteful business, with a tendency to sink old ships, or use retired vehicles as targets. This is partly because recycling and renewing materials is not at the forefront of many minds. However, the Uplift 360 and Leonardo partnership could help demonstrate the value of recycled components. Especially if new-build equipment using recycled carbon fibre can be certified for use. This may help bring the idea of recycling old materials to the forefront, and lead to a more circular economy within defence. 

Arguably, it should not be too much of a mental leap for most programme managers. It is common practice to cannibalise part of a vehicle fleet for parts, just to support the vehicles in use. In a sense, the process proposed by Uplift360 is one step further – taking retired platforms and recycling them.

To find out more about Uplift360 and Leonardo, check out the links below: 

• Uplift360 secures £6.17 million seed funding – Calibre Defence 
• UK awards £1 billion New Medium Helicopter contract to Leonardo – Calibre Defence 

The lead image shows a drone arm produced with the Uplift360 ChemR process. Credit: Uplift360.