British Army drone operators gain expertise
The Stalker drone, pictured above, is designed to combine the flexibility of a portable system with the endurance and payload performance of a larger, more costly vehicle. (Photo: British Army)
The contract, a part of Project Tiquila, outlines the delivery of 15 rotary-wing Indago 4 devices and 99 fixed-wing Stalker VXE30 drones from Lockheed Martin to the British Army. These UAVs will provide imaging and surveillance capabilities.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the contract is valued at £129 million with a timeline of ten years.
Inzpire will supply training needs analysis, training design and training delivery services to British Army UAS instructors to ensure the devices are integrated effectively.
The company’s experts will deliver theoretical and live training content, and design a tailored training package that is continuously evolving to support the lifecycle of new capabilities.
The fixed-wing Stalker drone weighs over 20kg and has a 4.88m wingspan. It provides over eight hours of imaging capability and is able to cover around 60mi.
The rotary-wing Indago 4 is foldable and weighs less than 2.5kg. It can be carried in a soldier’s backpack and deployed in just two minutes with a range of eight miles.
While this is the first time Inzpire will provide training services to the British Army, the company has previously provided training to RAF RPAS crews.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
Airbus awaits USMC decision on Logistics Connector programme
Airbus has been advancing development of its uncrewed MQ-72C Logistics Connector for the US Marine Corps, with a decision on the programme expected in early 2026.
-
Belgium considers additional F-35 order to boost fleet
The statement from Prime Minister Bart De Wever during a parliamentary session follows the country’s Easter Agreement which would see it increase defence spending to 2% of GDP by the end of 2025.
-
Northrop Grumman notes $477 million loss as it manages higher B-21 programme costs
In its Q1 earnings call, the company disclosed a US$477 million pretax loss related to the programme as it works to scale up.
-
Lockheed Martin wants to “supercharge” F-35 after NGAD loss
The investment in technologies developed for Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) aircraft bid will now be applied to its F-35 and F-22 aircraft, according to Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet.