Dodgysootie - you might just be surprised. BAE has already cut 'first metal' on Taranis after a development time of just a few months. It has been flying autonomous UAVs in both Scotand and Australia for some time and is among the first worldwide to do this.
The RAF has also been showing interest in HERTI a prop powered UAV, specifically developed for recce missions. I think you will find that this is a highly capable platform!