UK

Network provider O2 is working with drone company Skyfarer to get delivery drones into the air to deliver COVID-19 supplies and blood samples. The two are also working on creating the necessary infrastructure to fly the drones safely.

Research has shown that British police have been using drones to monitor protests and rallies throughout 2020 and likely into the new year. Drone Watch was able to gather information on police usage of drones around the UK from January to October 2020.

Four years on from the Grenfell Tower fire, drones are being used to inspect other towers in the UK to ensure the cladding is safe or removed if not. The drones have been able to speed up inspection times and drastically lower costs.

According to military personal, a UK cyber operation aimed at disabling ISIS drones, soldiers’ phones, and servers has been a success. The news came just two months after Boris Johnson announced the Cyber Force operated by the military and spy agencies.

Urban-Air Port has announced plans to begin building the world’s first delivery and passenger drone airport before the end of this year. The announcement was made after it was announced the winner of the UK’s Future Flight Challenge to develop infrastructure for the future of urban air mobility.

The UK’s Royal Navy has been experimenting with its Puma drone onboard the HMS Tamar in preparation for its first deployment this summer. The drone is expected to take on some of the reconnaissance and intelligence gathering normally done by helicopters.

On New Year’s Eve, London introduced drones to its fireworks display for the first time. We watched it and loved it so much that we shared it with all of you. We have put together a short exclusive piece on the show’s inner workings with the help of the company behind the drones, SKYMAGIC.

A man from Perth, Scotland, has been jailed for six months after being paid to fly phones into a maximum-security prison by drone. He reportedly crashed the drone before it was able to deliver the devices into HMP Edinburgh.

As drones become more advanced, countries are implementing new rules. The UK has done so, requiring camera drones to be registered before taking to the sky. You will also be required to register your drone if it weighs 250 grams and above.

The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) wants to produce a new fleet of cost-effective armed drones as it watched the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Defense officials have stated they believe using lower-cost Turkish drones played a crucial part in Azerbaijan tactics.

A British military drone has, unfortunately, hit the ground during a recent test flight in the Middle Eastern country of Cyprus. The Watchkeeper WK450 drone is believed to have crashed during a training session back in October, which has just be made public by the Observer.

Residents on the Scottish Isle of Mull will soon be consulted to see if they would be open to delivery drones flying in the sky. A drone trial is also expected to take place in the new year after a parcel was flown from the mainland to the island earlier this month.

The British government is looking into introducing drone deliveries to rural areas to ensure they don’t fall behind the rest of the country when it comes to transport technology. Ministers are currently asking for suggestions on various ideas, including delivery and passenger drones.

British drone provider COPTRZ has handed out a free DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual to the Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team to advance its operations. The company is also giving out free online drone training for emergency services teams across the country.

Network Rail has turned to drones and LiDAR to create a photo-realistic 3D scan of North Yorkshire’s Ribblehead viaduct in the UK to assist in the restoration of the iconic rail structure. The high-tech restoration is a part of Network Rail’s £2.1 ($2.8) million Great North Rail Project.

Drones from the UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) could be ready to hit the skies in six months, according to drone company Blue Bear. The company has also stated that it would take around an extra £5 ($6.6) million for a fleet of 20 drones.

The British government has set aside £33 million (~$43 million) in funding to be spent on firefighting and COVID delivery drones as a part of a ground-breaking aviation project to solve major global challenges. So far, 20 winning ideas have been funded by the UK government.

The new mini bug drone will be added to the UK Army’s tanks and other armored vehicles to gain access to enemy positions by blowing open doors with explosives. The drone is a part of the UK’s new investment in threat-driven military equipment.

The United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) has turned to medical delivery drones to deliver COVID testing kits to hospitals. The drone delivery trial has been backed by the UK Space Agency, which has handed over £1.3 million or around $1.7 million.

Britain’s latest drone, the Protector RG Mk1, has hit a major milestone by completing its first flight before its 2021 delivery date. The drone, internally known as GA-ASI, will be delivered to the UK Ministry of Defense and provide intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance support from above.

Altitude Angel, a UK company that enables the safe integration and use of drones and UAVs into international airspace, has announced it will be creating the first Drone Zone in the Thames Valley west of London. It will be open to drones and manned aircraft. The company submitted the plans for the commercial drone corridor to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).