UK must adapt to new type of warfare and use drones en masse, warns Carns
Veterans Minister Al Carns has said the UK must be prepared to fight a future war using swarms of drones.
Mr Carns, a former colonel in the Royal Marines, made a series of lengthy comments on social media about use of drones in modern warfare.
He pointed out how for the first time since the First World War, a weapon system other than artillery had resulted in more casualties - drones.
And he added: "For the first time a navy without a navy has defeated a navy - with drones.
"Most deep strikes are being executed with drones… dumb hardware equipped with increasingly sophisticated software."
While his observations are not new, they are interesting coming from him - and his conclusions provide more food for thought.
He says the UK needs an equal mix of "mass-produced drones coupled with high-end sophisticated weapons systems across all domains".
Mr Carns also said there was a need for an industrial base to feed this demand - and suggested the UK "change our tactics, techniques and procedures to include the use of mass drones".
So why might we be hearing from the Veterans Minister at this time, on a topic that is not a clear part of his brief?
Well, one factor could be the announcement of a new UK contract worth £30m for drones to support Ukraine produced by SYOS Aerospace, a New Zealand uncrewed vehicle manufacturer based in Hampshire.
The announcement is part of a wider military partnership between the two countries unveiled to coincide with the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to the UK.
Mr Carns's comments might also be linked to news earlier in April that British soldiers were able to track, target and take down swarms of drones for the first time, using a new UK-developed directed energy weapon.
This was part of a trial which took place in West Wales of a Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), which succeeded in neutralising multiple targets simultaneously "with near-instant effect".
Future UK investment in drone use
But it's still worth noting when a minister with no direct responsibility for procurement speaks about potential UK investment in a particular weapon set.
Could this be a deliberate departmental move to lend credibility by deploying the only minister who has served in the Armed Forces to talk on this subject?
Or might it reflect the minister's own ambitions to do more in this space?
Either way the Ministry of Defence's position on this will become clearer with the publication of the long-awaited Security and Defence Review, which is expected later this year.
Judging from these social media posts, Al Carns certainly seems to think drones should feature highly.
"Whether we like it or not, this is the new way of warfare, and we have an obligation not only to lead in this space to defend our freedoms and that of our allies, but to help define and implement the guardrails for its future use," he said.
The minister concludes by promising "more to follow this week with some insights on land, maritime and the air".
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