The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that 282 personnel are currently participating in the British Army’s centralised small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (sUAS) training pathways, according to a written parliamentary answer from Armed Forces Minister Al Carns.
Responding to questions from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Carns said centralised training is delivered through the Land Warfare Centre, with further instruction then carried out at unit level across the Field Army.
He told Parliament: “Centralised training in small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (sUAS) is delivered by the Land Warfare Centre, with distributed training subsequently provided by individual units within the Field Army.”
As of February 2026, Carns confirmed: “282 personnel are currently participating in the British Army’s centralised sUAS training pathways.”
However, he acknowledged that the MOD does not hold complete figures for training delivered at unit level, stating: “Exact figures for those currently undertaking distributed training are not available as these figures are not held centrally.”
Looking ahead, the MOD said it has expanded training capacity, with Carns adding: “We have currently made available 915 spaces for centralised training and expect around 2,000 personnel to undertake distributed training in future financial years.”
Then quadruple the number of operators, then double that tenfold.
Was thinking the same, at this point it should be standard training, equal to SA80 training.