British Army spends £16M on 1,000 pocket-sized eyes in the sky

The British Army is buying more than 1,000 small drones for battlefield surveillance and training under contracts worth £16 million ($21 million). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) says the new portfolio of "spy" drones will give soldiers better battlefield intelligence and protection. The MoD is procuring the drones through three UK-based small and medium-sized companies, although some of the technology comes from overseas. Two models are intended for surveillance, while the third will prepare soldiers to use similar systems on operations. Most of the order consists of 670 Skydio X10 quadcopters. Each weighs about 2.49 kg (5.5 lb), can reach 45 mph, and has a flight time of up to 40 minutes. Surrey-based Marlborough Communications Limited is...

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