StormShroud drone revealed as UK's new weapon to guard our warplanes against attack
Multi-million pound new 'StormShroud' - Britain's powerful new drone that will guard the UK's warplanes as they scream into battle against NATO enemies, jamming defences and confusing hostile fighters
Cutting- edge new RAF 'StormShroud' drones will act as 'sky guardians', keeping the UK's warplanes safe as they scream into battle against enemy ground crews and fighter jets. The high-tech unmanned craft were developed from technology learned from Ukraine 's sophisticated drone warfare against Kremlin troops fighting on the eastern front.
StormShroud has been fitted with futuristic technology that will allow it to fly alongside attack planes such as deadly Eurofighter Typhoons and F-35B fighter bombers. Once deployed the drones will protect the crews of their 'mothership' warplanes and knock out enemy air defences, jamming their ability to track them as loom into attack. They are made in the UK by the company Tekever and are part of an overall £400 million investment in Britain's defences, creating hundreds of new defence industry jobs.
'StormShroud' has come into operation today as Prime Minister Keir Starmer further bolsters UK national security in the light of the growing threat from Russia and other rogue states. The breakthrough in war technology comes as the UK is also driving forward Coalition of the Willing planning on Ukraine's future and boosting UK-Ukrainian defence industrial cooperation.
Military sources say the 'StormShroud' drone is a groundbreaking first-of-its-kind drone that will make the RAF's world-class combat aircraft more survivable and more lethal. It is able to use a system known as the high-tech BriteStorm signal jammer to disrupt enemy radar at long ranges, protecting our aircraft and pilots.
In revolutionary new tactics, the drones support aircraft like Typhoon and F35 Lightning, by confusing enemy radars and allowing combat aircraft to attack targets unseen. This means for the first time, the RAF will benefit from high-end electronic warfare without needing crew to man it, freeing them up for other vital frontline missions.
Sources told the Daily Mirror it would be particularly useful against Russian or even Iranian ground defences which have grown deadly in recent years. It is also the first of a string of major new breakthroughs in drone technology costing an initial £19 million and made at multiple UK locations already from West Wales to Somerset.
UK MoD sources say StormShroud is just the first of a family of next-generation drones - known as Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) - being delivered to the RAF. The RAF is taking the next step by integrating best-in-class signal scrambling technology into the drones to boost the UK's defences at home.
British-Portuguese tech company Tekever, who manufacture the drones in the UK, plan to invest a further £400 million over the next 5 years across the UK and create up to 1,000 more highly skilled jobs. The Prime Minister will visit to a Leonardo UK site in the South East today (Fri) to see first-hand the expertise that goes into manufacturing the drones.
As well as stepping up to protect our interests on the world stage, this government's commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 means a boost in jobs. Last week, the Carrier Strike Group launched its eight-month deployment and will join exercises, operations and visits with 30 countries across the Mediterranean, Middle East, south-east Asia, Japan and Australia – led by the Royal Navy's largest and most powerful aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales.
That deployment sends a message that the UK and its allies stand ready to protect vital trade routes in the Indo-Pacific region. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 'Investment in our defence is an investment in this country's future. Putting money behind our Armed Forces and defence industry is safeguarding our economic and national security by putting money back in the pockets of hard-working British people and protecting them for generations to come.
'Together with our allies, this government is taking the bold action needed to stand up to Putin and ruthlessly protect UK and European security, which is vital for us to deliver our Plan for Change and improve lives of working people up and down the country. It is a privilege to meet and learn from the young minds driving innovation in defence technology, and we will continue to invest in the industries of the future to deliver security and opportunity for the British people through our Plan for Change.'
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