The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced it has ordered a third Zephyr-S Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), as part of a £13 million contract with Airbus Defence and Space (ADS).
The aircraft is the latest version of the ultra-lightweight UAVs, capable of flying up to 70,000ft, for up to 45 days at a time.
Commenting on the purchase, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “Zephyr is a cutting edge, record-breaking piece of kit that will be capable of gathering constant, reliable information over vast geographical areas at a much greater level of detail than ever before.
“They are part of our plan for stronger and better defence, backed by a budget that will rise each year of this decade. That means more ships, more aircraft, more troops available at readiness, better equipment for special forces, more being spent on cyber – to deal with the increased threats to our country.”
