By Staff Correspondent
Following the news that the UK government is reviewing the size and capability of the country’s drone fleet; James Marques, Associate Aerospace, Defence and Security Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:
“The British military’s ability to defend the UK and project power could be enhanced via further investment in a bigger, more capable fleet of unmanned arial vehicles (UAVs). General Atomics’ recently unveiled carrier-capable version of its medium altitude long endurance (MALE) Protector drones puts the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) previous request for information (RFI) regarding putting a catapult-and-trap system for drones on the Navy’s aircraft carriers in a new light.
“The Chief of Defence Staff remarked last year that carrier drones would enable the UK to deploy two large air wings on both the Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales simultaneously, acting as force multipliers that are more affordable than F-35B fighters. MALE drones can potentially fulfil roles such as airborne early warning (AEW)—traditionally done by crewed systems such as the Merlin helicopter’s Crowsnest, which is due to leave service in 2029. Similar or better capabilities for naval aviation may be attained via UAVS at far smaller costs.
“Further investment in naval drones also comes with industrial benefits. The UK-based GKN Aerospace is now manufacturing Protector tail sections, and a £30 million contract for a prototype unmanned air combat aircraft is supporting over 100 Belfast jobs. More is likely to be committed to other projects such as MOSQUITO and ‘Vixen’ aiming to fulfil multiple roles, ranging from maritime patrol to heavy lift and AWE. If seen through, such platforms could transform the operational tempo of the Royal Navy.
“These projects involve several British companies, such as BAE and Malloy Aeronautics, and could potentially stimulate the UK’s aerospace sector into a competitive position, compared to other countries that lag in unmanned technologies. It would be a smart strategy to broach a market, which is predicted to be worth $17.7 billion by 2031*, according to GlobalData.
“Not only are drones more economical than crewed aircraft, and pose less risk to life for military personnel, but their proliferation will help explore new operational concepts that can have a wider, long-term impact on the structure and doctrine of the UK’s military. Advocates for a larger British drone fleet may feel vindicated seeing the role they are playing in shaping the war in Ukraine.”
