The British Army wants better drone pilots, so it makes them learn 'the hardest way to fly'
The British Army is teaching future drone pilots to fly manually because it's more difficult than using a stabilized platform.
The British Army is taking a unique approach to training future drone pilots by teaching them to fly manually, without relying on GPS. According to a commander involved in the training efforts, this method is described as the "hardest way to fly." The British Army has acquired over 10,000 drones this year through Project Rapstone, a rapid procurement initiative, with the majority intended for training purposes rather than combat.
Lt. Col. Matt Keogh explained that the army is focusing on investing in pilots by purchasing manually flown first-person-view (FPV) drones and reducing the complexity of smaller intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms that lack GPS safeguards. Soldiers are trained to fly drones similarly to how one would learn to drive a manual car before transitioning to an automatic, or navigate with a map and compass before relying on GPS.
Keogh emphasized that by establishing these foundations in pilots' training, it becomes easier to close the gap when required. The British Army has been preparing for GPS-denied environments long before the conflict in Ukraine, and officials have warned that Ukraine's electronic warfare tactics, including GPS jamming and spoofing, are a crucial factor in preparing for potential future conflicts.
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