ORAC
31st Aug 2020, 07:01
The “Bugger Off” to help tell illegal immigrants to bugger off......
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/army-drone-deployed-to-spot-migrants-in-channel-d3qs3nsxh
Army drone deployed to spot migrants in Channel
An army surveillance drone was due to have started patrolling the Channel overnight, looking for migrants trying to cross from France.
The Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle was due to undergo a seven-hour trial from 2am this morning. Launched from Lydd airport in Kent, it was operated by 47th Regiment Royal Artillery to transmit a live feed of the sea surface back to the unit.
It is the first time an army asset has been used in support of the Home Office to tackle migrant crossings. It is also the first time Watchkeeper has been used operationally in the UK. “It will provide a leading surveillance and reconnaissance capability, feeding information back to the Border Force and allowing them to take appropriate action where necessary,” a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said last night.
If the trial is successful, the drone could become a permanent tool in the government’s arsenal to curb perilous crossings. However, its use is highly weather-dependent. The test today would have been delayed if conditions were poor........
A move to deploy Watchkeeper drones permanently in support of the Home Office could mark a fresh start for a programme that has suffered mixed fortunes, running £400m over cost and facing chronic delays. It came into service in 2010 and was most recently used by the British army in Afghanistan. Several Watchkeepers have crashed in recent years, with one stalling after a technical problem during a bad weather flight test and plunging into the sea off the Welsh coast last year.
The drone is piloted by radio signals, which means troops must be close on the ground near by to fly it. For this reason it has been less suitable for deployment over Syria and Iraq than the Reaper, an RAF drone that is controlled by satellite and can be operated from thousands of miles away......
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: “The deployment of Watchkeeper provides further Defence support to the Home Office in tackling the increasing number of small boats crossing the English Channel. It will provide a leading surveillance and reconnaissance capability, feeding information back to the Border Force and allowing them to take appropriate action where necessary.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/army-drone-deployed-to-spot-migrants-in-channel-d3qs3nsxh
Army drone deployed to spot migrants in Channel
An army surveillance drone was due to have started patrolling the Channel overnight, looking for migrants trying to cross from France.
The Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle was due to undergo a seven-hour trial from 2am this morning. Launched from Lydd airport in Kent, it was operated by 47th Regiment Royal Artillery to transmit a live feed of the sea surface back to the unit.
It is the first time an army asset has been used in support of the Home Office to tackle migrant crossings. It is also the first time Watchkeeper has been used operationally in the UK. “It will provide a leading surveillance and reconnaissance capability, feeding information back to the Border Force and allowing them to take appropriate action where necessary,” a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said last night.
If the trial is successful, the drone could become a permanent tool in the government’s arsenal to curb perilous crossings. However, its use is highly weather-dependent. The test today would have been delayed if conditions were poor........
A move to deploy Watchkeeper drones permanently in support of the Home Office could mark a fresh start for a programme that has suffered mixed fortunes, running £400m over cost and facing chronic delays. It came into service in 2010 and was most recently used by the British army in Afghanistan. Several Watchkeepers have crashed in recent years, with one stalling after a technical problem during a bad weather flight test and plunging into the sea off the Welsh coast last year.
The drone is piloted by radio signals, which means troops must be close on the ground near by to fly it. For this reason it has been less suitable for deployment over Syria and Iraq than the Reaper, an RAF drone that is controlled by satellite and can be operated from thousands of miles away......
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: “The deployment of Watchkeeper provides further Defence support to the Home Office in tackling the increasing number of small boats crossing the English Channel. It will provide a leading surveillance and reconnaissance capability, feeding information back to the Border Force and allowing them to take appropriate action where necessary.”