In another indication of how the effectiveness of smaller UAVs in conflict situations like Ukraine’s defense against invading Russian troops is leading modern armies to integrate the craft in ever larger numbers, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered $156.6 million in portable drones for deployment by its armed forces.

The MoD made the announcement this month, naming Lockheed Martin UK the organizer of the multi-company effort to produce over 250 cutting-edge portable drones to replace aging aerial assets in the Mini Uncrewed Aerial System program. Like armies in the US, France, Germany, China, and elsewhere, the UK is moving to exploit the proven capabilities of tech-packed smaller craft to perform a wide range of critical activities with similar effectiveness – but at far lower costs – than the far larger UAVs that had previously been used.

Read: Royal Navy tests drones for blood deliveries to battlefield medics 

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Source: dronedj.com