British troops destined for the Russian border to help Ukrainian soldiers with drone warfare have been banned from practising the skill due to health and safety regulations.
Soldiers training on Salisbury Plain have reportedly been told to stop flying drones over colleagues’ heads due to safety concerns, even if those down below are sitting in a heavily armoured tank at the time.
They have also been prevented from practising jamming radio control frequencies – stopping drone pilots and the devices they control from communicating, a key tactic in aerial combat – due to concerns it would have an impact on satnavs and other electrical equipment used by residents near the Wiltshire base.
It has prompted concerns that British troops at the base, which was visited by Prince William when he flew a drone there last year, will be woefully underprepared when dispatched to the fringes of the Russia-Ukraine frontline to help Volodymyr Zelensky‘s military defend its territory.
Labour MP Fred Thomas, who sits on the Commons Defence Select Committee, said: ‘British soldiers who are deploying as part of a deterrence force to places like Estonia and eastern Europe are going out without the kind of training and capability that is completely bog-standard in warfare now, whether it is in the Middle East or in Ukraine.’
He told the FT: ‘They (UK troops) are taking steps to try and protect themselves by going online and buying kit to then tinker around with to see if they can’t jam frequencies themselves.’
According to the FT, soldiers complained that they were told to complete multiple requests for permission to the Military Aviation Authority – part of the MoD – to fly a drone over a tank during a training exercise in March.
This was despite the tank not having any personnel inside at the time.
Prince William visited troops based at Salisbury Plain in November last year when he got to launch a drone
The Prince of Wales, colonel of the Welsh Guards, was given a tour of the Wiltshire base during his visit
Soldiers have been told they are not allowed to fly drones overhead due to health and safety reasons – even if their colleagues are sat in a tank at the time
Drones have become a key component of aerial combat
Rules are in place to prevent the devices being flown near airports, buildings or above members of the public.
But drones have become a crucial facet of modern warfare, particularly due to their availability and cost.
Last month Defence Secretary John Healey announced Britain would send hundreds of thousands of drones to the Ukrainian frontline as part of a £450 million aid package.
The drones being supplied include highly maneuverable first-person view (FPV) drones to attack targets, and drones which can drop explosives on Russian positions.
These types of drones are reported to be responsible for 60-70% of damage currently caused to Russian equipment.
But there are concerns that a lack of ‘real-life’ training would restrict the soldiers’ efficacy when dispatched to the frontline.
The base was given the once-over by former soldier Prince William in November, when he donned camouflage gear while visiting the Welsh Guards in his capacity as colonel of the regiment.
