Government unveil terrifying fleet of spy drones that fly at 60mph and ‘see every part’
The UK government has announced they will splash £400 million on a fleet of high tech surveillance drones that can see through smoke and cloud, as well as at night
The drone can see at night, and through smoke and cloud
The UK government is spending £400 million on high tech spy drones that can travel at 60mph, track moving vehicles and even see through smoke and clouds.
The ultra high-tech Tekever AR5 drones, which can be used in search and rescue, border and maritime patrol and land surveillance, weigh around 50kg and are over 7 metres in length, with a maximum fly time of 20 hours.
According to a statement put out by the Department of Defence, the UK hopes the big money splash will be enough to build six drones at first, which will be used by Britain’s military to ‘keep troops safe through round-the-clock intelligence gathering.’
The drone can fly at around 60mph (Image: Tekever)
A total of 29 models are planned to have been constructed and put into use by 2029, equating to a cost of over £13 million per drone.
The surveillance drones, which are also able to capture images and videos in the dark, are set to be built at a site in Swindon, which officials hope could be a boost ‘reindustrialisation of industry’ in the area.
According to new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting: “This investment will support our troops on deployment, while driving re-industrialisation and backing British innovation.
Wes Streeting announced the £400 million spend today (July 27)(Image: SKY NEWS)
“The full contract will sustain and create hundreds of jobs at Tekever’s UK sites, reinforcing defence’s important role in the UK’s growing defence and technology sector. It reflects this government’s commitment, driving defence as an engine for growth and supporting the reindustrialisation of industry in Britain.”
Streeting added that the new tech has already been trialled in Ukraine’s war with Russia, stating: “The new AR5 offers significantly improved endurance, sensor capability and reliability, ensuring that the Army maintains a battle-winning edge in surveillance and reconnaissance systems.
“The drone has been utilised by Ukraine’s Armed Forces on the battlefield, as they continue their fight against Russia’s unprovoked invasion.”
The drones will act as a spy in the sky for the British military(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A spokesperson for the company that manufacturers the drone stated that the deal was “about building and sustaining sovereign capability that stays one step ahead of our adversaries.”
Tekever UK’s Managing Director Karl Brew said: “[This] represents a major step change in delivering cutting edge autonomy to the British Army. This isn’t about a platform, it’s about building and sustaining sovereign capability that stays one step ahead of our adversaries.
“TEKEVER aims to create a new type of partnership between government and industry where we will ensure a constant cycle of capability evolution that delivers decisive advantage to our end users.”
