BRITISH forces are training to fly ‘kamikaze drones’ armed with explosives – while using VR headsets and ‘gaming’ controllers.
Soldiers’ piloting skills have been put to the test as the British Army works towards flying the unmanned aircraft on ‘one-way missions’ to find and strike targets.
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First Person View (FPV) Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) are being used ‘to great effect’ by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
They are flown using a virtual reality (VR) headset while carrying small explosive charges.
Their manoeuvrability means they can punch above their weight, flying through open hatches to destroy armoured vehicles by exploding inside it.
As part of Project Lewes – the Army’s project to integrate new technologies – troops are being trained to fly FPV UAS.
16 Air Assault Brigade ran a screening session at Colchester’s Merville Barracks to find soldiers among its existing UAS pilots with the aptitude to join the jHub Drone Academy.
The jHub, part of Strategic Command, aims to grow the military’s capabilities through the adoption of technology faster and better than Britain’s enemies.
Working with the Army’s Combat Manoeuvre Centre, the Drone Academy project has developed a distributed training solution for FPV flying for all three services.
Currently, infantry units are issued with the Parrot and Black Hornet UAS to use for reconnaissance, with soldiers completing a three-week course to qualify as pilots.
FPV drones do not have the GPS and stabilization software fitted to conventional drones so are harder to fly.
But this also means they are less vulnerable to jamming and more resilient on the battlefield.
Sergeant Adam Barnes, the senior UAS operator in 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), said: “While it is harder to operate, an FPV UAS is a much simpler, more adaptable and cheaper bit of kit.
“With a skilled pilot and the right UAS, you can use them to strike targets as well as carrying out reconnaissance.
“An infantry unit equipped with FPV UAS can fly them to attack targets that it would otherwise have to call in mortars, artillery, or an air strike to hit.
How unmanned drones are changing the face of war in Ukraine
Ukraine has become increasingly reliant on first-person-view (FPV) drones — nimble, target-seeking, kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Since early 2023, the cheap, explosive, flying machines have turned into one of Kyiv’s biggest success stories on the battlefield, forcing Moscow’s forces to catch up.
“This is undeniable,” said Arsenal, who goes by his call sign for security reasons.
The senior officer is head of FPV drones at the State Transport Special Service, a specialised military unit attached to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence.
With the 600-mile front frozen in hellish trench warfare, Arsenal said the conflict is moving into a “technological war” and developing attack drones is key to this.
The quadcopters cost around £300, are largely made from off-the-shelf pieces of kit and are now often assembled into precision weapons by civilians in their homes.
Some are fitted with grenades or homebuilt bombs, others are used for reconnaissance missions to identify enemy positions and guide artillery fire.
Arsenal revealed that the killer drones now successfully blitz Putin’s targets in three out of five operations.
He told The Sun earlier this year: “FPV drones are extremely important in this war. Absolutely every drone, even the ones that fall under the influence of Russian electronic jamming, save lives.
“If Mavic (surveillance) drones are our eyes – for the adjustment of artillery fire, withdrawal of groups to positions, reconnaissance – then FPV drones are our sword, our strike force.”
“It shortens the kill chain and gives a commander more options, making for a more efficient use of resources.”
FPV UAS originate in drone racing and the training, delivered by commercial partner Point Zenith, provides soldiers with an FPV UAS, along with obstacles for flying practice and a laptop computer loaded with a sophisticated racing simulator.
2 PARA has set up a drone racing club to encourage interest in the pursuit among its soldiers.
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“This is a military skill that we can develop through a competitive hobby,” Sgt Barnes said.
“Learning to fly FPV drones is the difficult part, and then how to use them tactically is just a further skill to add on.”
Among those selected to join the programme was Lance Corporal Morgan McConnell, of 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.
On recent training in Estonia, he piloted Parrot drones on reconnaissance flights during a live fire trench clearance operation while enemy drones hovered overhead to scout the paratroopers’ actions.
He said: “Flying drones is something that I enjoy, and it’s been a different skill to develop.
“The Parrot has basically got an autopilot and you can be reasonably confident at flying it within a few hours.
“FPV takes a lot more effort and skill because you’ve got total control of it, and it’s going to take time to get to the stage of flying it instinctively.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge and it’s interesting to be working on a technology that is developing, particularly when it gets to adding munitions into what we’re doing.”
As the Army’s highest readiness formation, 16 Air Asslt Bde is at the forefront of UAS and counter-UAS operations.
It is the first to be issued with the SMASH sight, which mounts on the standard issue SA80 A3 assault rifle and uses image processing software to help soldiers shoot down UAS.
Stealth speedboat that transforms into submarine spotted off UK coast
AN INCREDIBLE stealth speed boat that transforms into a submarine and ferry commandos into battle was spotted off the UK coast.
The Subsea Craft VICTA was pictured doing trials in Portsmouth Harbour.
Photos of the stealth boast were posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The revolutionary speedboat, unveiled in 2019, was designed specifically for stealth missions and is used to ferry British commandos.
It can carry eight personnel, reach speeds up to 40 knots, and has an impressive range of 297 miles or 250 nautical miles.
The VICTA prides itself on its rapid transition between surfacing and sub-surfacing.
It is extremely manoeuvrable and has similar characteristics to a high-tech speed boat when above the water.
The stealth vessel relies on its special submersible abilities which are enabled by a fly-by-wire control system.
It is also highly adaptable and able to be deployed from various platforms, including road trailers and aircraft.
Onboard the VICTA is a sophisticated digital platform that can process data from numerous systems and sensors throughout the vessel.
It comes after a Royal Navy nuclear-armed submarine smashed the record for the longest voyage after spending 201 days at sea.
