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The UK Defence Drone Strategy will expedite the deployment of uncrewed systems across land, air and sea, employing lessons learned from the application of drone warfare in Ukraine.
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The UK Armed Forces has confirmed that the new strategy will cover the entire military, ensuring continuity and consistency between the British Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy all integrated by UK Strategic Command.
The streamlined strategy will be underpinned by £4.5 billion in investment over the next 10 years to deliver rapid experimentation, testing and evaluation of uncrewed systems.
The UK Armed Forces hopes that the investment will deliver qualitative overmatch in the uncrewed and autonomous space and expedite the delivery of systems into the hands of military users to provide ISR and logistical support.
The UK government flagged that the new announcement will: “leave behind long development timelines and lengthy requirement discussions”.
Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge explained that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has given the UK Armed Forces much needed lessons in the field of autonomy.
“The conflict in Ukraine has been an incubator for new ways of war and we need to learn and implement those hard-fought lessons,” Minister Cartlidge explained.
“Rapidly being able to develop and upgrade uncrewed systems will be key to gaining battlefield advantage and we must seize this opportunity to grow and sustain such skills and capabilities in the UK.
“The strategy brings together a clear, unified focus – backed by billions in funding – while providing the flexibility to meet different requirements in the air, over land, and at sea.
“Ultimately, this is about learning the lessons from the Ukrainian frontline to procure drones at scale for the UK’s Armed Forces.”
Earlier in February, it was revealed that the United Kingdom had joined Latvia’s drone coalition to deliver thousands of “first person view” drones for the Ukrainian military and will jointly lead the project.
The drones will be delivered for the Ukrainian military to target Russian positions, armoured vehicles, and ships.
First-person view drones have proven invaluable to Ukrainian soldiers, providing combat units with enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and giving them an affordable and accurate means of attacking enemy positions.
Announced in mid-February, the UK’s membership of the coalition is expected to aid the productions of the drones at scale and at affordable price and will form part of the United Kingdom’s £200 million drone package.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has outlined that the initiative will streamline drone acquisition, drawing from capabilities across “Western industry”.
“The UK continues to do all we can to give Ukraine what it needs – upping our aid to £2.5 billion this year and committing £200 million to manufacture drones, making us Ukraine’s largest drone supplier,” Secretary Shapps outlined.
“Today, we’re going even further. I’m proud to announce that the UK and Latvia will co-lead an international coalition to build Ukraine’s vital drone capabilities.
“Together, we will give Ukraine the capabilities it needs to defend itself and win this war, to ensure that Putin fails in his illegal and barbaric ambitions.”
