Beware the Banshees, Putin! 400mph swarm of Britain’s new military drones
IT sounds more like a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie.
But a swarm of drones capable of taking orders from an air crew has been successfully deployed in a training exercise off the west coast of Scotland.
The fixed-wing Banshees, which can reach speeds of more than 400mph, were able to fly in formation alongside a military jet before being deployed.
The manned jet was flown from a Ministry of Defence base in Wiltshire to the Outer Hebrides, where it took control of a modified Banshee Jet 80.
The autonomous drone then received its orders from the aircraft before conducting its mission, flying at 402mph. A number of ‘digital’ Banshees were also involved in the pioneering exercise, working in a ‘coordinated manner’ as part of the ‘live-virtual swarm’.
Alan Hart, a director at defence contractor QinetiQ, said: ‘This trial represents a significant advance in developing technologies that will allow uncrewed systems to operate seamlessly with current aircraft, providing the basis for air operations for the next 20 years.’
Minister for defence procurement James Cartlidge said: ‘Our Armed Forces continually strive to be at the cuttingedge of technology.
‘The ability to team up crewed and uncrewed systems is an important step forward in our ability to seize the opportunities inherent across drones.’
The exercise follows on from the test firing of the UK’s first laser weapon at MoD Hebrides in January. The DragonFire shot down drones using its highpowered laser, which has the precision to hit a £1 coin from 1,000 yards.
The full range of the system is classified with the weapon being developed as a low-cost alternative to missiles in engaging with targets such as drones.