Latest news with #TomO'Connor
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
British killer drone start-up wins backing from defence giants
A British company behind a drone that will give Army troops 'an Apache gunship in the boot of their car' has secured backing from one of Europe's biggest defence giants. Hydra Drones has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle powered by rotors and up to six rocket boosters, making it capable of carrying up to 400 kilograms in weight and matching the firepower of an Apache helicopter when multiple drones are used simultaneously. The heavy lift capability means it can be fitted out to carry everything from laser-guided Brimstone missiles to heavy machine guns and, one day, potentially injured soldiers. It takes just minutes to launch and can fire missiles capable of hitting tanks 20 miles away. A less capable version of the device has already been trialled by the Army. Bosses now want to complete a prototype and were close to winning funding from the Ministry of Defence before spending freezes last year prompted them to search elsewhere. Hydra has now received an investment – understood to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds – from Anglo-French-Italian missile manufacturer MBDA, which has also taken a minority shareholding. MBDA is a joint venture between BAE Systems, Airbus and Leonardo and makes Storm Shadow cruise missiles for the UK, as well as the laser-guided, tank-busting Brimstone missile. The cash invested in Hydra is in addition to nearly £1m of finance already raised by the company – which includes several former members of the Armed Forces – from friends, family and private individuals. It will allow Hydra to finish a prototype and push on with further trials this year, probably in September. The Army has been working with the company since 2021 and promoted its drone at the military sector's flagship Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London in 2023. Tom O'Connor, managing director of Hydra Drones and a former aircraft technician for the Army, said five Hydra drones would be able to match the firepower of Apache, reducing the need to put human lives in danger. With a full payload, they should be able to stay airborne for up to 25 minutes, meaning they could be used to safely reinforce frontline troops with significant amounts of ammunition and food supplies. At the same time, the diesel and electric-powered devices could potentially be paired with manned aircraft for a variety of other missions. Mr O'Connor said: 'With this small, cheap platform, the Army will be able to deliver whatever it needs to deliver without using the relatively small number of manned aircraft. Instead, those can be freed up for more specialist tasks. 'It is semi-attritable – so it will not cost crazy money.' The drone is designed to be 'modular', meaning its power can be easily scaled up or down using different numbers of attachable jets, and troops can pack it away easily when moving around. MBDA's investment in Hydra comes as defence companies are investing in heavy-lift drones as cheaper alternatives to helicopters for militaries around the world. The large number of helicopter missions currently move payloads of a few hundred kilograms or less, meaning there is huge potential for drones to become the workhorses for this kind of logistics. BAE Systems last year invested in Malloy Aeronautics, another British company developing a heavy-lift drone. The company's T-650, which can transport payloads of up to 300kg, has been dubbed a 'Land Rover in the sky' and can also use a range of attachments. 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
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
British killer drone maker wins backing from defence giant
A British company behind a drone that will give Army troops 'an Apache gunship in the boot of their car' has secured backing from one of Europe's biggest defence giants. Hydra Drones has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle powered by rotors and up to six rocket boosters, making it capable of carrying up to 400 kilograms in weight and matching the firepower of an Apache helicopter when multiple drones are used simultaneously. The heavy lift capability means it can be fitted out to carry everything from laser-guided Brimstone missiles to heavy machine guns and, one day, potentially injured soldiers. It takes just minutes to launch and can fire missiles capable of hitting tanks 20 miles away. A less capable version of the device has already been trialled by the Army. Bosses now want to complete a prototype and were close to winning funding from the Ministry of Defence before spending freezes last year prompted them to search elsewhere. Hydra has now received an investment – understood to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds – from Anglo-French-Italian missile manufacturer MBDA, which has also taken a minority shareholding. MBDA is a joint venture between BAE Systems, Airbus and Leonardo and makes Storm Shadow cruise missiles for the UK, as well as the laser-guided, tank-busting Brimstone missile. The cash invested in Hydra is in addition to nearly £1m of finance already raised by the company – which includes several former members of the Armed Forces – from friends, family and private individuals. It will allow Hydra to finish a prototype and push on with further trials this year, probably in September. The Army has been working with the company since 2021 and promoted its drone at the military sector's flagship Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London in 2023. Tom O'Connor, managing director of Hydra Drones and a former aircraft technician for the Army, said five Hydra drones would be able to match the firepower of Apache, reducing the need to put human lives in danger. With a full payload, they should be able to stay airborne for up to 25 minutes, meaning they could be used to safely reinforce frontline troops with significant amounts of ammunition and food supplies. At the same time, the diesel and electric-powered devices could potentially be paired with manned aircraft for a variety of other missions. Mr O'Connor said: 'With this small, cheap platform, the Army will be able to deliver whatever it needs to deliver without using the relatively small number of manned aircraft. Instead, those can be freed up for more specialist tasks. 'It is semi-attritable – so it will not cost crazy money.' The drone is designed to be 'modular', meaning its power can be easily scaled up or down using different numbers of attachable jets, and troops can pack it away easily when moving around. MBDA's investment in Hydra comes as defence companies are investing in heavy-lift drones as cheaper alternatives to helicopters for militaries around the world. The large number of helicopter missions currently move payloads of a few hundred kilograms or less, meaning there is huge potential for drones to become the workhorses for this kind of logistics. BAE Systems last year invested in Malloy Aeronautics, another British company developing a heavy-lift drone. The company's T-650, which can transport payloads of up to 300kg, has been dubbed a 'Land Rover in the sky' and can also use a range of attachments. Suzanne Jude, of MBDA, said: 'By supporting agile, pioneering SMEs such as Hybrid Drones, we're not just investing in a product, but in the future of defence ecosystems, strengthening competitive advantage in an increasingly complex global defence landscape.'
New York Times
01-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Wrexham 0-0 Bolton Wanderers: A draw, but another point closer to promotion places
Honours even at a sun-kissed SToK Cae Ras, as Wrexham and Bolton Wanderers shared a goalless draw in League One for the second time this season. The Athletic picks out the main talking points from an afternoon when both managers had reason to be pleased with their side's efforts. For Wrexham, a promising, if not quite perfect, start to a month that could well be season-defining in the race to join runaway leaders Birmingham City in clinching automatic promotion. Defeat for Wycombe Wanderers at Birmingham City meant one half of the desired outcome for the Welsh club from the lunchtime kick-offs came to bear. Wrexham, however, were unable to fully capitalise, as an entertaining clash at the STōK Cae Ras ended goalless. Advertisement It wasn't for the want of trying on the part of either team, as Tom O'Connor hit the crossbar with a gilt-edged opportunity for the hosts, just as Jordi Osei-Tutu had done for Bolton in the first half. Two points now separate Wrexham in third from Wycombe following the first instalment of a March schedule dominated by several crunch six-pointers between the promotion pack. Next up on that list of intriguing fixtures is Wrexham's trip to Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, followed by another tough away assignment for Phil Parkinson's side at Wycombe on March 15. A week later, international call-ups permitting, Wycombe travel to Huddersfield on the same afternoon Wrexham host Stockport County. 'Every game has so much on it,' says Wrexham assistant manager Steve Parkin. 'People can talk about putting pressure on Wycombe but there's so many permutations that can happen over the next few weeks. 'We just have to make sure we do our job, keep picking up points. We'd have liked three against Bolton but we got one and a clean sheet. That has to be a positive.' Regardless of how those final 13 games pan out, Wrexham have already stuck two fingers up at Opta's supercomputer. The Welsh club were tipped to finish 20th before a ball had been kicked by a system that ran 10,000 different simulations of the 2024-25 season using a host of variables, including the quality of performances, upcoming fixtures, historical results and even Opta's own power rankings. Wycombe, meanwhile, were predicted to finish ninth with Bolton as champions and Birmingham runners-up. Now, that predicted 1-2-3 has Chris Davies' City as champions, followed by Wycombe in second and Wrexham third. Over to Parkinson and his men to once again prove the Opta boffins wrong. With one wing-back top of the League One assists table and the other captain of the club, anyone hoping to depose Ryan Barnett and James McClean this season has had their work cut out. Advertisement Huge praise, therefore, is due for how Seb Revan and Ryan Longman have performed after finally getting an opportunity in the last two league games. Revan has been superb down the left, his pace and power adding an extra dimension to the attack. As shown below, no one managed more progressive carries in Saturday's goalless draw (Longman also managed two), while his seven progressive passes were the second-highest tally in the game. Revan, a summer signing from Aston Villa is no slouch in defence, either, as he showed against Bolton by fully containing Josh Dacres-Cogley, one of the division's more attack-minded wide men. Longman, signed from Hull City in January, was equally busy on the opposite flank. Not only did he cause Alex Murphy all manner of problems with his willingness to run at the full-back. But his delivery was largely decent, either when crossing from wide areas or when attempting a raking pass from deep. Like Revan, Longman also got through plenty of defensive work, particularly the timely challenge to stop Jordi Osei-Tutu in his tracks, just as the Wanderers man looked set to race clear. Parkinson demands plenty from his wing-backs. Among their instructions are the need for one to attack the back post the moment the other gets possession in a dangerous area. Again, the pair excelled here, with it being Longman who headed Revan's lofted centre back across goal for O'Connor to blaze over the chance of the game. With McClean having recently suffered a hip injury and Barnett's form dipping despite those eight assists, the form shown by Revan and Longman these last two games has been a massive plus as Wrexham now have genuine competition in two key areas. 'I thought they both did well,' says Parkin. 'Seb stuck to his task really well, up against a real forward thinking and driving full back who we have seen lots of video about. I thought he did a great job and never gave him a sniff, really, while also taking him the other way. Advertisement 'His overall game was really solid, put some good crosses in. I thought Longy grew into the game. He's new to us, obviously. He's been in and out of the team a little bit. But he's a good lad who has power and pace. 'I thought he had the young lad on the ropes second half. He used that power and pace to be really effective.' Kick-off against Bolton may have been 7.30am on the East Coast of the USA and a slumber-inducing 4.30am on the West but America's voracious appetite to watch Wrexham continues. For the 33rd time this League One season, Parkinson's side were shown live in the USA as part of CBS' new four-year deal to broadcast the EFL (English Football League). No other club among the 72 members boasts a 100 per cent appearance record this season. It will continue, too, with the list for upcoming live games up until the international break revealing Wrexham's clashes with Huddersfield, Rotherham United, Reading and Wycombe will also be broadcast live in the States. Championship heavyweights Leeds United come closest to match that, with all but one of their 38 league games up to and including March 16 to be shown live, followed by Burnley with 35 from 38. The next highest tally in League One by the same date will belong to Birmingham with 10, followed by a clutch of sides on five. A remarkable testimony to the on-going fascination with the Welsh club on the other side of the Atlantic following the success of the Emmy Award winning documentary Welcome to Wrexham. Tuesday, March 4: Huddersfield Town (A), League One, 7.45pm GMT, 2.45pm ET
