1. 3 updates

Britain to double armed drones

The UK will double the number of armed RAF drones in Afghanistan to 10. The new aircraft will be operated remotely from Britain.

Live updates

New drones 'key role' to gather intelligence

The new batch of drones, known as 13 Squadron will be officially "stood up" at a ceremony on Friday. The Ministry of Defence said:

Reaper is the only remotely-piloted aircraft that is armed. On the rare occasions that weapons are used, the same strict rules are followed that govern the use of weapons on manned aircraft. The vast majority of unmanned aircraft flying is surveillance and reconnaissance in support of our frontline troops, providing them with vital intelligence and helping to save lives in Afghanistan. Since 2006 they have provided over 100,000 hours of persistent intelligence.

Advertisement

Britain doubles armed drones fleet

The UK will double the number of armed RAF drones in Afghanistan, taking the number to 10. The new aircraft will be operated remotely from Britain.

  • Pilots based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire would fly the five recently-bought unmanned aerial vehicles
  • The hi-tech Reaper drones are primarily used to gather intelligence on enemy activity on the ground
  • They also carry 500lb bombs and Hellfire missiles for precision strikes on insurgents
Back to top