Tri-Service
Special Forces Set To Get New Wings With Pioneering Solar Drone
The Ministry of Defence is to acquire a brand new unmanned aerial vehicle capability.
Currently being tested by Special Forces soldiers, the 'Zephyr' is covered in solar panels from wing to wing and designed to fly high in the earth's atmosphere for weeks at a time.
The full details of the Zephyr drones are currently unclear because they will be used by Britain’s elite forces.
"They will be able to fly higher and for longer to gather constant, reliable information over vast areas." - Defence Secretary Michael Fallon
Designed and built in Britain, the vehicles will carry small payloads that might consist of reconnaissance cameras or communications equipment.
The MoD will likely purchase two Zephyrs initially, in a deal worth roughly £10 million.
The new aircraft flies so high and for so long, beaming back detailed images to commanders, that it is described by manufacturer Airbus as a “pseudo-satellite”.
"They will be able to fly higher and for longer to gather constant, reliable information over vast areas," Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, said
The aircraft can 'loiter' above the clouds for extreme lengths, up to 14 days, enabling them to send back detailed images.
Fallon added: "We can invest in cutting-edge equipment like this because we’re increasing the defence budget, with £178 billion to be spent on military equipment over the next 10 years."
The wingspan of the latest spec Zephyr 8 is 25 metres, over double the length of a London bus. It's made of high-tech materials and so weighs only around 60 kilos.
The aircraft was developed by Qinetiq, a privatised research arm of the MoD, at research and development labs in Farnborough.
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