Latest news with #StormShroud
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Weak defences warning as Britain's stockpile of military drones would run out within HOURS of a war starting
Most of the UK's drones are designed for surveillance, such as the Navy's new Peregrine spycopters, or for dropping bombs ARMAGEDDRONE Weak defences warning as Britain's stockpile of military drones would run out within HOURS of a war starting BRITAIN's military drones would run out within hours of a war starting. The stockpile, including RAF, Army and Navy weapons, is under 2,000 aircraft. Advertisement 2 While the UK has fewer than 2,000 drones - Ukraine's fighters, above, fire off 3,000 to 6,000 a day, according to estimates Credit: Peter Jordan Ukraine burns through 3,000 to 6,000 a day, say UK estimates. Its weapons range from shop-bought quadcopters no bigger than pizza box to long-range bombers that blitz Moscow. One defence source said: 'The UK has a huge capability gap. Drones are deciding the war in Ukraine. 'If either side gets drone superiority, even briefly, we have seen them make gains. Advertisement 'The UK knows this. We are sending drones to Ukraine but have hardly any of our own.' This week, Ukraine hit Moscow missile factories with drones. And footage emerged of a fibre-optic attack drone flying inside a Russian warehouse of armoured vehicles. These are immune to signal jamming as they are tethered to their pilots by fibre-optic cable. The MoD vowed to start building large, one-way attack drones last year but they are yet to enter production. Advertisement Meanwhile, drones like Russia's Zala Lancet, which loiter until spotting a target, are not due until 2027. Defence chiefs spent £200million on a loitering Fire Shadow drone but scrapped it in 2018. 'IMPOSSIBLE' BOMB Ukraine pins hopes on 'INVINCIBLE' drone to turn tide of war Most of the UK's drones are designed for surveillance, such as the Navy's new Peregrine spycopters, or for dropping bombs and firing missiles. The RAF does have Storm Shroud drones which fly alongside jets to blind enemy radars. Advertisement The MoD insisted: 'The UK is well prepared to defend itself. 'We are investing in drone technology and operate a variety of large, medium, and small drones across all three services which offer distinct operational capabilities. "We take the threats we face very seriously and the Strategic Defence Review is examining the capabilities we need to continue to keep Britain safe.' 2 Britain's stockpile of fewer than 2,000 military drones would run out within hours of a war starting Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Weak defences warning as Britain's stockpile of military drones would run out within HOURS of a war starting
BRITAIN's military drones would run out within hours of a war starting. The stockpile, including RAF, Army and Navy weapons, is under 2,000 aircraft. Advertisement 2 While the UK has fewer than 2,000 drones - Ukraine's fighters, above, fire off 3,000 to 6,000 a day, according to estimates Credit: Peter Jordan Ukraine burns through 3,000 to 6,000 a day, say UK estimates. Its weapons range from shop-bought quadcopters no bigger than pizza box to long-range bombers that blitz Moscow. One defence source said: 'The UK has a huge capability gap. Drones are deciding the war in Ukraine . 'If either side gets drone superiority, even briefly, we have seen them make gains. Advertisement READ MORE UK NEWS 'The UK knows this. We are This week, Ukraine hit Moscow missile factories with drones. And footage emerged of a These are immune to signal jamming as they are tethered to their pilots by fibre-optic cable. The MoD vowed to start building large, one-way attack drones last year but they are yet to enter production. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Meanwhile, drones like Russia's Zala Lancet, which loiter until spotting a target , are not due until 2027. Defence chiefs spent £200million on a loitering Fire Shadow drone but scrapped it in 2018. 'IMPOSSIBLE' BOMB Ukraine pins hopes on 'INVINCIBLE' drone to turn tide of war Most of the UK's drones are designed for surveillance, such as the Navy's new Peregrine spycopters, or for dropping bombs and firing missiles. The RAF does have Storm Shroud drones which fly alongside jets to blind enemy radars. Advertisement The MoD insisted: 'The UK is well prepared to defend itself. 'We are investing in drone technology and operate a variety of large, medium, and small drones across all three services which offer distinct operational capabilities. "We take the threats we face very seriously and the Strategic Defence Review is examining the capabilities we need to continue to keep Britain safe.' 2 Britain's stockpile of fewer than 2,000 military drones would run out within hours of a war starting Credit: Getty Advertisement
Axios
14-05-2025
- Axios
U.K. rolls out jammer drones to shield F-35 and Typhoon fighters
The U.K. launched StormShroud, drone wingmen designed to blind radars and draw fire away from far pricier, manned aircraft like the F-35 and Typhoon. Why it matters: Human-machine innovation bounds ahead outside the U.S. The Royal Air Force will for the first time "benefit from high-end electronic warfare without needing crew to man it," the defense ministry and prime minister's office said in a joint statement. State of play: StormShroud combines the Tekever AR3 unmanned aerial vehicle with the Leonardo U.K. BriteStorm electronic warfare payload. The AR3 has more than 10,000 hours of flight time in Ukraine. Research and development for the jammer began in 2017. Leonardo said it can also be mounted to missiles. Together, it's the first in a line of autonomous collaborative platforms (ACP) the military is anticipating. Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, chief of the Air Staff, in a statement described StormShroud's arrival as a "seminal moment."
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Phantom' planes to swarm enemy radar before RAF fighter jets attack
Signal-jamming drones that generate 'phantom' aircraft are set to be deployed by the Royal Air Force to protect manned fighter jets from air defences. Swarms of the British-made StormShroud devices, which fly autonomously, will be sent into contested territory ahead of crewed F-35s and Typhoons to create confusion using cutting-edge electronic warfare systems. They are capable of blinding enemy radar or even simulating fake aircraft by creating 'phantom' electronic signatures, helping the real, manned platforms to go undetected. On Friday, the RAF revealed that StormShroud had entered operational service with 216 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, following a procurement process that lasted just a year. The drone platform is based on Tekever's AR3, which is made in Wales and Southampton, and has been used extensively by Ukrainian forces fighting Russia. The onboard electronic warfare technology, known as BriteStorm, was developed by Leonardo UK engineers in Luton. StormShroud has been rushed into service under the autonomous collaborative platforms programme, which aims to 'revolutionise the RAF's advantage in the most contested battlespaces'. Credit: X/@RoyalAirForce On Friday, Sir Rich Knighton, chief of the air staff, said: 'This is a seminal moment for the RAF to maintain our advantage in air combat and national security. 'The RAF is committed to exploring cutting-edge technologies that can enhance its lethality and survivability in a more contested and dangerous world. 'Autonomous collaborative platforms will revolutionise how we conduct a range of missions, from intelligence gathering to strike and logistical support. 'We are excited to be at the forefront of this innovation and are working closely with industry partners to explore the possibilities.' The RAF said the new capability meant that electronic warfare capabilities could now be deployed without needing to put human pilots at risk, freeing them up for other missions. An initial 24 StormShroud drones have been ordered at a cost of £19m, supporting 200 skilled manufacturing jobs. However, British-Portuguese defence company Tekever said it was preparing to invest £400m over the next five years to expand its UK presence, ahead of further anticipated orders of the AR3 from Britain and its Nato allies. An RAF source said the air force was also likely to order more StormShroud drones and would continue to 'iterate' the platform with Tekever and Leonardo. On Friday, Sir Keir Starmer visited Leonardo's site in Luton to meet staff and discuss the new StormShroud capability. He made the visit against the backdrop of grim results for Labour in the local elections and the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, where Nigel Farage's Reform UK stormed to victory. The Prime Minister 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 the lives of working people up and down the country.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
‘Phantom' planes to swarm enemy radar before RAF fighter jets attack
Signal-jamming drones that generate 'phantom' aircraft are set to be deployed by the Royal Air Force to protect manned fighter jets from air defences. Swarms of the British-made StormShroud devices, which fly autonomously, will be sent into contested territory ahead of crewed F-35s and Typhoons to create confusion using cutting-edge electronic warfare systems. They are capable of blinding enemy radar or even simulating fake aircraft by creating 'phantom' electronic signatures, helping the real, manned platforms to go undetected. On Friday, the RAF revealed that StormShroud had entered operational service with 216 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, following a procurement process that lasted just a year. The drone platform is based on Tekever's AR3, which is made in Wales and Southampton, and has been used extensively by Ukrainian forces fighting Russia. The onboard electronic warfare technology, known as BriteStorm, was developed by Leonardo UK engineers in Luton. StormShroud has been rushed into service under the autonomous collaborative platforms programme, which aims to 'revolutionise the RAF's advantage in the most contested battlespaces'. On Friday, Sir Rich Knighton, chief of the air staff, said: 'This is a seminal moment for the RAF to maintain our advantage in air combat and national security. 'The RAF is committed to exploring cutting-edge technologies that can enhance its lethality and survivability in a more contested and dangerous world. 'Autonomous collaborative platforms will revolutionise how we conduct a range of missions, from intelligence gathering to strike and logistical support. 'We are excited to be at the forefront of this innovation and are working closely with industry partners to explore the possibilities.' The RAF said the new capability meant that electronic warfare capabilities could now be deployed without needing to put human pilots at risk, freeing them up for other missions. An initial 24 StormShroud drones have been ordered at a cost of £19m, supporting 200 skilled manufacturing jobs. However, British-Portuguese defence company Tekever said it was preparing to invest £400m over the next five years to expand its UK presence, ahead of further anticipated orders of the AR3 from Britain and its Nato allies. An RAF source said the air force was also likely to order more StormShroud drones and would continue to 'iterate' the platform with Tekever and Leonardo. On Friday, Sir Keir Starmer visited Leonardo's site in Luton to meet staff and discuss the new StormShroud capability. He made the visit against the backdrop of grim results for Labour in the local elections and the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, where Nigel Farage's Reform UK stormed to victory. The Prime Minister 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 the lives of working people up and down the country.'
