Mane Aerospace April 2019 | Page 13

Army robotics receive a 66m pound boost

The Defence Secretary recently announced that £66m of Defence funding will be fast-tracked to ensure that military robotic projects get onto the battlefield this year.

This funding will allow the British Army to benefit from:

•Systems to fit Army fighting vehicles with remote-control capability, so they can be pushed ahead of manned vehicles and used to test the strength of enemy defences

•New mini-drones, providing troops with an eye-in-the-sky to give them greater awareness to enemies

•New autonomous logistic vehicles which will deliver vital supplies to troops in warzones, helping remove soldiers from dangerous resupply tasks so they can focus on combat roles

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “This announcement is a clear demonstration of how our Armed Forces are reaping the benefits from our new multi-million Transformation Fund. Each of these new technologies will enhance our Army’s capabilities whilst reducing the risk to our personnel and I’m delighted we will be revolutionising frontline technology by the end of the year”.

This funding should allow the Army to become front runners; with Chief of the General Staff Sir Mark Carleton-Smith saying: “Rapid adaptation is an essential ingredient for success on the battlefield and the fielding of the next generation of armoured fighting vehicles and ground-breaking robotic and autonomous systems will keep the British Army at the cutting edge of battlefield technology, improving our lethality, survivability and competitive advantage.”

The injection of funding from the new £160m Transformation Fund will see some of this equipment set to deploy to the likes of Estonia, Afghanistan and Iraq before the end of the year.

APRIL 2019 | MANE AEROSPACE, DEFENCE & SPACE | 13