More than 120 British Army units are now training to operate uncrewed air systems as the Army expands its use of drones and autonomous technologies across the force, according to a parliamentary answer from the Ministry of Defence.
Responding to a question from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Defence Minister Al Carns said training programmes are growing quickly as the Army incorporates lessons from modern conflicts.
“Training pathways for the use of small Uncrewed Air Systems (sUAS) are expanding rapidly as the Army continues to build skills in robotics and autonomous systems, informed by lessons learned from Ukraine,” Carns said.
Centralised drone training delivered by the Army’s Land Warfare Centre is being developed as part of that effort. According to the minister, the programme has been under development for much of the current training year and is expected to expand further as the system matures.
“Centralised sUAS training delivered by the Land Warfare Centre has been in development for much of this training year,” Carns explained. “As pathways mature, the Centre is currently scheduled to deliver 65 courses in Training Year 2026-27, with this number expected to increase or remain consistent in future years depending on uptake.”
Alongside centralised courses, the Army is also relying heavily on training delivered directly within operational units. Carns said this distributed model remains a key part of how drone skills are being spread throughout the Field Army.
“Alongside this, distributed training—delivered by individual units within the Field Army—remains a significant element of the Army’s approach,” he said. “283 distributed courses have been scheduled in the current training year, and the number of available course places is expected to grow in future years.”
The Ministry of Defence does not hold precise figures on how many units are training specifically on small drones. However, Carns said the available data shows that a significant portion of the Army is now involved in uncrewed systems training.
“Exact figures on the number of units training specifically on small Uncrewed Air Systems (sUAS) are not held centrally,” he said. “However, as of March 2026, 127 Army units are reported to be conducting training on Uncrewed Air Systems, the vast majority of which relates to sUAS.”
