UK Creating Tiny UAS for Military Operations
The United Kingdom is preparing to fund tiny drones based on dragonflies as a part of an £800 million project funded by the country’s Ministry of Defence. The dragonfly drones, which are known as micro-drones, will primarily be used for intelligence gathering within military operations.
Developed by Oxford-based Animal Dynamics, the tiny UAS will be able to reach a maximum speed of 45 miles per hour, despite being less than five inches long and weighing less than two one-pound British coins. The hope is that these UAS can have a major impact while surveying and traveling through urban environments.
Via an article from The Telegraph, U.K. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon had this to say about the country’s initiative to fund the creation of new technologies for military affairs:
“This new approach will help to keep Britain safe while supporting our economy, with our brightest brains keeping us ahead of our adversaries. Backed by a defense budget that will rise every year until the end of the decade, it will ensure that the U.K. maintains its military advantage in an increasingly dangerous world.”
The £800 million fund will be used in an effort to produce new aged military technology. Other systems that will be developed thanks to this fund are laser weapons, mobile robots and virtual reality helmets. The ministry will also encourage companies, as well as the general public at large, to propose ideas for new innovations that could be funded.
