Due to “competing resource requirements”, 216 Squadron has not conducted any drone trials despite being formed in 2020 for that purpose.

216 Squadron was reformed in April 2020 and was tasked with testing future drone swarm technology. 

The information came to light in response to a Parliamentary Written Question asked by Stewart McDonald MP.

Stewart McDonald, MP for Glasgow South, asked:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) tests and (b) trials of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) that were conducted (i) in-house and (ii) in conjunction with industry were carried out by the RAF 126 Squadron since its formation; if he will list the names of the UAVs; and whether any of those UAVs (A) have been recommended for acquisition, (B) are in the process of acquisition and (C) are in service.”

James Cartlidge, The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, responded:

“Since the formation of 216 Squadron in 2020 there have been no completed tests or trials conducted either in-house or with industry. 216 Squadron personnel have participated in several technical demonstrations as military advisers and subject matter experts in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.

A trial was planned for June 2023 using the Callen-Lenz ‘Koios’ Air vehicle and the Blue Bear Systems Research ‘Centurion’ Ground Control Station but this activity was cancelled due to competing resource priorities. No UAVs have been recommended by 216 Squadron for acquisition into service.”

Though squadron personnel have participated in several technical demonstrations in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, acting as military advisers and subject matter experts, a planned trial involving the Callen-Lenz ‘Koios’ Air vehicle and the Blue Bear Systems Research ‘Centurion’ Ground Control Station in June 2023 was cancelled due to “competing resource priorities.”

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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34 COMMENTS

  1. First to comment, so you have how many airpersons doing exactly what? Is there any wonder folk are so confused/angry about the state of the UK’s armed forces? Love and hugs, a very cynical veteran x

  2. “ due to competing resource priorities”

    Translation working with the Ukrainians to build up real battlefield experience with prototypes.

    • Lets hope so. If that is the reason then lessons learnt will be very useful indeed, although the lack of in-house trials and testing in 4 years suggest support Ukraine isn’t the only reason…

      All in all I’d say that this is still symptomatic gross under funding.

      Cheers CR

      • Yes, it is a guess.

        But some large scale testing which wil generate some good statistics is underway!

        • Certainly will and with luck the feedback from Ukrainian troops will help to form requirements supported by real operational experience for future UK systems.

          A recent article on here quoted an RAF officer saying expendable drones costing in the [low] hundreds of £k were being looked at along with the more expensive operations. To be fair he was talking about larger vehicles operating in support of crewed platforms and I guess a few hundred £k is better than £1m or so for a big capable missile. The thing is what effectors would these drones carry and would they last long enough to deliver the effect? If you need loads £100k drones to just deliver a limited number of effects you might as well stick with the big expensive missiles that have proved themselves. The operational insights gained in Ukraine could inform that type of analysis.

          We just need them to get on with it, we used to warn against analysis paralysis but so often the customer wanted more detail..! In this case there is the added risk that 216squadron is being diverted from it’s intended task to supporting the Ukrainian war effort instead.

          Cheers CR

          • Well if it is effectively doing its trialing via the thousands of drones we are sending to Ukraine then I’m not too alarmed, but if not then this is much more worrying. Either way the acquisition of drones, or lack there of, sounds concerning if this is effectively an indicator of that. With some authorities claiming potential conflict with Russia within a year (though I find that difficult to believe) others within 5 years and certainly a desperate Putin just might strike out against the Baltic States at an undetermined time, then we will need many hundreds of varied drones from the off and training of personnel will be vital from day one or we will be in serious trouble.

  4. A good follow up question would be “hoe many FTE are in 216, and what is the total annual operating costs?”

  6. Personally I feel the question asked was the wrong question. The squadrons main remit is regards swarming drone technology, as its a RAF unit that would imply drones larger and more complex than the swarming drones currently been tested by the British army
    Google
    British Army carries out successful Swarming Drone capabilityfor more on that story.

    I suspect that the vast majority of work carried carried out by 216 squadron (As a question anybody else read that as two one six rather than two hundred and sixteen) is currently setting out exactly what they want , what they want it to do and how they will go about doing (including writing up a lot of software) as we have seen Drone technology is evolving really quickly what was state of the art last year is now deemed obsolete , especially in light of how Moscow has devoted a lot of time and effort in mitigating the threat from UAVs be it ballistic electronically or by some other mean

    I wouldn’t be so quick to bump my gums about the so called lack of progress in this field, because there is a lot going on we don’t much about. Also why is a SNP MP asking questions regards the naming of a UAV that doesn’t concern him, his constituents or even Scotland.

    • I did a double take 216, then 126 and then back to 216. Look on the bright side if it was a German Squadron a few years ago they would have been issued balsa wood kits for starters.

    • Yep, agree. I don’t think 216 were ever meant to have any drones on establishment at this stage, just trial them. Especially given the long standing UK MoD horror and reluctance to actually buy something that is not “informing decisions” for kicking the can up the road. ( Tactical Drones for the army excluded )
      It was stated quite clearly after 216 were reformed ( after being the Tristar Sqn ) that Swarming Drones R&D was their main role.
      I also recall another FOIA answer that was mentioned here a while back reported their personnel establishment was low too.
      Wouldn’t some of these “Swarming Drones” be so small they are actually launched from Typhoon, so not actually “operated” by 216 anyway.

    • Well take this any way you like, Russian electronic warfare troops (they operate a man portable backpack with a shotgun) have been complaining this very week that their equipment is mostly useless against Ukranian drones. Interestingly in Kherson Oblast Ukranian marines are using British supply drones which initially were susceptible to Russian interference but subsequently modified to resist EW. Clearly indicates we have/gathering expertise and equally it’s a measure/countermeasure scenario but also existing drones can and indeed like have to be updated via experience. Of course to pursue this process successfully you actually need to possess drones on day one of a conflict and of course whatever the defences many drones will get through even if susceptible and only active experience will define any vulnerabilities.

      If there were no threat of conflict then waiting and learning from others active experience makes a lot of sense, but I am not sure that we have the time to be so lacking in urgency at this point. Just hope this isn’t therefore indictative of a general malaise in making decisions on this technology because our troops on the NATO boundaries won’t I’m sure be placated by the excuse that the powers that be were waiting to find out what’s the best possible option before committing to any.

      • Ive been most impressed with how the Ukrainians have utilized cheap drones and if we (the Uk) can take something away from all of this then all the better. Moving up in weight size and down to sea level, I watched 2 different videos yesterday of Ukrainian sea drones targeting the Sergey Kotov (Project 22160) which was sunk. I dont know if you have seen the videos, but they were taken from on board the ship with sailors on board shooting at the drones in the water which are acting like predatory hunters swarming for the kill. That’s scary stuff and if cheap (compared to the ship they sunk) drones can do that, then the rule book has just been rewritten

    • Farouk we are know as 2-16, Two Sixteen, as roots are with 16 Naval Air Squadron prior to the formation of the RAF in 1918. Dave M 216 Veteran.

      • Thanks,
        I knew the REs broke down the numbers, wasnt so sure on other branches or services.

        My first posting was to 24 field Sqn (Two four) then to 73 field Sq (seven three) funny enough when I was posted to a training regiment the sqn i was posted to 37 wasn’t broken down

  7. We’ll most probably end up buying some of these on the cheap, fitted for but not with. 🙄God help us. 🙏

    “China’s Tianying (Sky Hawk) tailless low-observable, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has started flight-testing following upgrades to its “main parameters”. According to Chinese state-owned media, the changes improve the UAV’s “stealth” characteristics and “endurance”.

    Janes has assessed video imagery of the Sky Hawk conducting a test flight aired by the state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on 27 February. The video footage of the UAV also showed it in flight with its tricycle landing gear in wheels down position, which is indicative of preliminary flight-testing.

    The upgraded UAV exhibits some design changes compared with an earlier iteration displayed during the China Air Show 2018 at Zhuhai. One prominent change is an expansion of the wing aileron surfaces. The UAV also appeared to have a new antenna for very-/ultra-high-frequency (V/UHF) communications on its mid-dorsal surface.”

    Courtesy of Janes Defence

    https://

    janes.com/defence-news/defence/latest/update-enhanced-chinese-sky-hawk-stealth-uav-conducts-flight-tests

  8. Is anyone surprised? Incompetence, budget stupidity etc. my local school is offering 25k for someone to manage diversity (in the area the only non whites are US and they are on base) You can take a non job like that in tens of thousands of schools or line up to be killed for less. Even worse of course is that if we ditched these and similar jobs in the civil service, the NHS etc. we would have enough money to double the army or buy some drones

    • Yes the waste in government is astronomical. Cut it by half, we could all sing ” rule Brittania” because it would have a shred of truth.

      • Its not just normal waste any more its bullshit, total bullshit. Made up crap which has never had any place with normal real people. It is apparently now legal for TfL to advertise jobs for blacks only, it is legal I guess for the civil service to open opportunities and specifically invite applications fromr 2+lgqbt+_23rjgrepojewrgn and whatever now because apparently they are under represented… did the civil service go round and find out who has what kinks and oddities?

      • When the carriers , well QE , there were no planes to fly off her , fact . There are still not enough to give both carriers a half decent complement . What’s silly about that

        • By the time QE was operational there were planes to fly off of her, the first Uk based f35 squadrons was stood up in 2018.

          The QE started her sea trials in June 2017, commissioned dec 2016 first flight trials started in 2018….QE was not declared operational until 2021..by that time the UK has a UK based F35 squadron for 3 years…a first inclass ship like a carrier does not just sail out the dockyard get commissioned and is ready it takes a couple of years of first in class trials…and the f35 was ready for that.

          as for air-wings for both carriers that was never part of the planning we have two carriers so we can be pretty sure we can deploy one…normal max airwing was aways 24 jets or 36 at full surge…..we have around 48F35 now.

          the No aircraft was always a stupid headline for rubbish papers to print…it was never a reality.

  13. 216 should be careful when they do get Drones as 16 Air assault brigade is trialing a sight named SMASH which incorporates AI can be fitted to the SA 80 and its primary purpose is for tracking illuminating and allowing the Aimer a better chance of hitting said Drone

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