UK to invest £4.5 billion in drones for armed forces
NewsFebruary 23, 2024
LONDON, England. The UK Ministry of Defence launched the UK Defence Drone Strategy, a new initiative backed by a £4.5 billion investment over the next decade, aimed at rapidly equipping the UK Armed Forces with advanced uncrewed systems, the MoD announced in a statement.
This strategy, informed by the experiences in Ukraine, seeks to unify and accelerate the deployment of uncrewed technology across the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, the statement reads.
The strategy emphasizes rapid experimentation, testing, and evaluation of uncrewed platforms, integrating efforts across the three military services, and it involves close collaboration with industry to stay abreast of evolving technologies and threats, the statement continues. The goal is to equip the armed forces with enhanced intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, strike, and logistical capabilities, moving away from prolonged development timelines.
Over £200 million of the £2.5 billion allocated for supporting Ukraine this financial year will fund the provision of uncrewed systems, the MoD says, adding that this includes scaling up the Drone Capability Coalition’s supply of 'first-person view' (FPV) drones to enhance Ukraine’s defensive capabilities while fostering the UK's domestic drone industry.
