Where Are The Drones ?  – the media (The Guardian) reports that the British military now has 500 drones and has been looking for ways to increase the amount of UK airspace in which to fly some of them,     There is currently only one British base where drones and normal aircraft can fly together in the same airspace – the privately owned West Wales Airport in Aberporth.    This researcher can only trace 264 (maximum in British Army service), and 10 in RAF service – see below.  Even if you add the 16 in Naval service, usually overlooked by all, we are struggling for 300!

Royal Air Force

MQ-9 REAPER (10) - The RAF acquired its first REAPER in 2006 under with 39 Squadron RAF reformed to operate them from Creech (USA).    In October 2012 13 Squadron RAF reformed to operate the additional five REAPER that had been acquired and are to operated from RAF Waddington (Lincolnshire) and will be joined by 39 Squadron RAF.   The actual REAPER airframes are in Afghanistan (not Lincolnshire) and are unlikely to be brought to the UK when the withdrawal from Afghan is complete (Cyprus ?) but will be flown from Lincolnshire!

SCAVENGER Project (?) – the new SCAVENGER project is expected to replace the REAPER units and is intended to enter service in 2020 and bids are underway.     At a briefing by the MoD, told an industry audience that General Atomics’ new AVENGER drone and EADS’s TALARION system were under consideration for SCAVENGER, along with BAE System’s MANTIS.

MANTIS (?) - The BAE MANTIS is an Unmanned Autonomous System Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator British demonstrator programme for Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle technology.     It is the world's first unmanned autonomous aircraft. The MANTIS is a twin-engine, turboprop powered unit broadly comparable to the REAPER.     The prototype first flew on 21 October 2009 at Woomera Test Range (South Australia).

TELEMOS (?) - In June 2011 it was announced that BAE and Dassault would collaborate on an aircraft called TELEMOS as the air component of SCAVENGER.    It has been suggested that BAE will supply an airframe and guidance based on the MANTIS with a payload from Thales and integration by Dassault. TELEMOS is scheduled to enter service in 2020.

TARANIS (?) - The MoD is also a major funder of TARANUS a collaborative project involving BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and others. The stealthy intercontinental TARANIS drone, designed to be semi-autonomous, has been described as resembling ‘a spaceship out of Star Wars’.    The autonomous BAE TARANUS is a technology demonstrator programme, possibly leading to a future Strategic Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle for both ground attack and reconnaissance roles.     It is an unmanned warplane which is designed to fly between continents.     The demonstrator will have two internal weapons bays.    The current plan seems to be for a collaboration with France with an entry into service date of 2030.

British Army

HERMES 450 (say 54) - is operated by the four Batteries of 32nd Regiment RA on military operations in Afghanistan (and before in Iraq).     The British version is the only HERMES to use laser gyroscopes in its inertial navigation system. It does not have the option for wing mounted armament. The HERMES 450 is the basis of the WATCHKEEPER WK450 whose development started in July 2005 in conjunction with Thales.   See below.

WATCHKEEPER WK450 (54) – An all weather unmanned aerial vehicle for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) used by the British Army, provided under an £800 million contract awarded in July 2005 to Thales.     The WATCHKEEPER WK450 is based on the Elbit HERMES 450 which uses a rotary Wankel engine. It has a typical endurance of 17 hours.     The UK MoD revealed that 54 WATCHKEEPER WK450 were ordered and the average cost [to the taxpayer] is therefore £800m divided by 54 aircraft, or approximately £15m per platform.    BUT this figure includes construction of new basing facilities at Boscombe Down, ground training facilities and simulators at the School of Artillery, VIKING armoured vehicles and other equipment for tactical parties, ground control stations, development and testing of extensive aircraft modifications including automatic take-off and landing and the integration and provision of new sensors including radars were also included in the cost.   It was originally intended to enter service in June 2010.   The first UK flight took place in April 2010 from Aberporth (Wales).    The contract was extended by a further 18 months, and the delivery date slipped from February 2011 to toward the end of 2011, but reportedly only 27units have been delivered thus far.   The WATCHKEEPER WK450 is reportedly is working with the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority to "open up more airspace to remotely piloted systems",

BLACK HORNET (160) – the BLACK HORNET NANO – is small military unmanned aerial vehicle (around 10 cm x 2.5 cm) and provides troops on the ground with local situational awareness. The drones are small enough to fit in one hand and weigh just over half an ounce (including batteries).    These unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with a camera which gives the operator full motion video and still images. The aircraft has been developed by Prox Dynamics AS of Norway as part of a £20 million contract with Marlborough Communications Ltd.     The aircraft are being used by Brigade Reconnaissance Force at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

Novel Air Concept – The Novel Air Concept is a "Capability Vision", initiative of the MoD to stimulate innovative solutions to long term defence challenges that may lead to a future capability.  The concept, announced in 2009, envisages a drone with folding rotor blades that would allow it to take off as helicopter and allow operation in an urban environment.

Royal Navy

MIRACH 100/5 – the Fleet Air Arm involvement with  drones if often overlooked and currently the operate 16 MIRARCH Target Drones which belong to 792 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, which was reformed at RNAS Culdrose in November 2001 from the Fleet Target Group then at RNAS Portland, which closed in 1998.      The Fleet Air Arm has been operating drones since the 1930’s (QUEEN BEEs) another often overlooked fact.