British Army in talks to buy killer drones from Silicon Valley start-up
The advanced robots – manufactured by American start-up Anduril – would be put under the command of the Army's manned Apache gunships, allowing them to be sent ahead to carry out dangerous tasks such as reconnaissance, missile strikes or force protection.
Under early proposals discussed by Anduril and military officials, the company said the machines and their software could be developed and manufactured in just three years.
They would be the anchor product of a major drone factory the company is looking at building in the UK.
Anduril's design would also aim to use common electrical components that would be easier to obtain during a conflict than specialist parts.
Richard Drake, head of Anduril UK, said: 'This would mean you can run an Apache with crew in it, alongside maybe four or five of our uncrewed helicopters.
'They could go further forward into the battle while the Apache and its people remain further away from danger, so you are increasing lethality while keeping people safer at the same time.'
War-ready
The proposal is being considered as part of plans to 'triple' the Army's lethality by the end of this decade under Gen Sir Roland Walker, the chief of the general staff.
He has warned that Britain must be prepared for the risk of a major conflict as soon as 2027 amid growing tensions between the West and Russia and China.
Technology is expected to play a major role in the Army's upgrade, with £100m announced last month for a programme to develop drone swarms to 'enhance the Army's ability to strike, survive and win on the battlefield'.
Mr Drake said the discussions between Anduril and military chiefs were aimed at addressing this requirement, adding: 'We've been really pleased to work with the British Army because they're very forward-thinking.
'This is an opportunity to take something we've already got in development and take it all the way there, with the Army as the lead customer.
'Our intent here is to co-invest, so we will put in a fair chunk of our own money to develop this so we can get capability to them as quickly as we can.
'It's going to be a push, but we're pretty confident we can do it. And if the project was successful, our intent would be to build as many as Europe wants to buy and export them from the UK.'
He likened the proposal to Anduril's 2022 deal to build three prototype 'Ghost Shark' autonomous submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.
The first of the vessels was delivered a year ahead of schedule, with the programme due to finish this year.
They were based on the company's Dive XL drone but 'co-developed' with the Australian military, which obtained the capability before the US Navy.
'Here in Britain, our intention is to do the same but with the land autonomous collaborative platform,' Mr Drake added.
Survival challenges in modern warfare
The Apache fleet was recently replaced, with 50 new aircraft delivered by manufacturer Boeing. The last one is still in the US for testing intended to make the platform capable of teaming up with uncrewed drones.
Each helicopter is equipped with sensors including radar, and optical and thermal sights and a mix of weapons that can include a 30mm automatic cannon, wing-mounted Hydra rockets and Hellfire missiles.
But Army chiefs are looking at pairing these helicopters with drones amid concerns that in future conflicts the attack helicopters would be vulnerable to modern air defences, said Nick Reynolds, a land warfare expert at the Royal United Services Institute.
Mr Reynolds said: 'There has been modelling that raises serious questions about the Apache's survivability, given what we have seen in Ukraine with neither side's air force able to get anywhere near the front lines.
'Now, those air forces are probably less capable than Nato's, so the alliance's fixed-wing aircraft would probably not face the same constraints.
'But helicopters are slower and would be more vulnerable, so the [Army's drone programme] is intended to increase survivability.'
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