Unmanned Air Vehicles

(asked on 9th June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on (1) the 'Mosquito' project, (2) the 'Many Drones Make Light Work' programme, and (3) other work to network-enabled or ‘swarm' drones; and when they anticipate such network-enabled drone capability to be operational.


Answered by
Baroness Goldie Portrait
Baroness Goldie
This question was answered on 19th June 2020

Project Mosquito is a technology demonstration being conducted in two phases. Phase 1 is complete, and the Ministry of Defence is currently evaluating the proposals for Phase 2. As Project Mosquito is a technology demonstrator, it is not anticipated that the project will result in an operational capability.

The Many Drones Make Light Work project explores the technical feasibility and military use of a swarm of up to twenty small unmanned aircraft vehicles, operating under the control of one individual. The project is in its final phase, Phase 3, delivering a structured flight evaluation programme of this new capability with the successful first trials held in March 2020.

The Royal Air Force's swarming drones project continues to be developed by the Rapid Capabilities Office with progress during recent trials exceeding expectations in several areas. Following the successful first trials, 216 Squadron was reformed at RAF Waddington on 1 April 2020. They will take on the operating role for the RAF's fleet of network enabled drones.

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