British Army spends £16M on 1,000 pocket-sized eyes in the sky

Surveillance and training drone systems will come through three UK suppliers, though some are built overseas

The British Army is buying more than 1,000 small drones for battlefield surveillance and training under contracts worth £16 million ($21 million).

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) says the new portfolio of "spy" drones will give soldiers better battlefield intelligence and protection.

The MoD is procuring the drones through three UK-based small and medium-sized companies, although some of the technology comes from overseas. Two models are intended for surveillance, while the third will prepare soldiers to use similar systems on operations.

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Most of the order consists of 670 Skydio X10 quadcopters. Each weighs about 2.49 kg (5.5 lb), can reach 45 mph, and has a flight time of up to 40 minutes. Surrey-based Marlborough Communications Limited is supplying the drones to the MoD, although their manufacturer, Skydio, is based in California.

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Evolve Dynamics, based in Hampshire, England, is providing 245 FOXE-NATO drones for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles. The company describes the FOXE-NATO as a pouch-deployable quadcopter weighing less than 250 g (0.55 lb), designed for rapid deployment and ease of use.

"This contract marks an important step in strengthening the Army's sovereign UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) capability. Our ambition is to see small, reliable uncrewed systems become standard equipment at the lowest tactical level, rather than a limited or specialist resource," Evolve Dynamics CEO Tom Redman said in a statement.

The remaining 110 units are SONORA drones supplied through a partnership between Exeter-based Brigantes Consulting and Paris-headquartered Harmattan AI. Designed for training, the SONORA can be deployed in less than a minute and weighs under 1.8 kg (4 lb).

The UK National Armaments Director Group handled the procurement, which forms part of Project Rapstone, an Army program intended to move new technology from industry to the front line within 24 months.

The purchase follows a £400 million ($534 million) deal announced in July to replace the Army's troublesome Watchkeeper fleet with Tekever AR5 drones. The fixed-wing AR5 is much larger than the quadcopters and can carry a 50 kg (110 lb) payload while remaining airborne for up to 20 hours.

"Our soldiers deserve the best technology, and that's what we're delivering," said the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP.

"From small drones giving troops eyes on the enemy, to the AR5 offering commanders better intelligence over the battlefield, we're transforming the Army's ability to see, understand and act first." ®