U.K. To Double Reaper UAV Fleet

By ANDREW CHUTER
Published: 7 Dec 2010 16:58

Britain is to spend 135 million pounds ($213 million) to double the size of its fleet of Reaper UAVs, Prime Minister David Cameron said during a Dec. 7 visit to British troops fighting in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister David Cameron did not say how many Reapers were purchased, but a Ministry of Defence spokesman said the Royal Air Force would be able to have three Reapers flying simultaneously. (U.S. Air Force)

Cameron did not say how many Reapers that would be, but a Ministry of Defence spokesman said the purchase would allow the Royal Air Force to have three Reapers flying simultaneously.

He said the machines would be in place by 2013.
In October, MoD procurement and support minister Peter Luff said Britain intended to purchase up to five of the UAVs by the end of 2014. Luff was answering a parliamentary question,
The British also used Cameron's visit to announce the introduction into operation of the Singaporean-built Warthog armored all-terrain vehicle. The vehicles have been operational for several weeks with soldiers of the Royal Tank Regiment and are understood to have survived at least one hit from an improvised bomb.
The MoD signed a 150 million pound contract with Singapore Technologies Kinetics in 2008 to deliver just over 100 vehicles in various configurations, including troop carriers, recovery and command and control vehicles.