AI powered drones hunt hidden bombs in breakthrough UK trial as Army races to keep pace with modern warfare
AI drones spot hidden bombs in breakthrough trial as UK races to keep up with modern warfare
British troops could soon be better protected from hidden explosive threats after a major UK trial showed AI-powered drones can detect landmines and unexploded ordnance more quickly and safely.
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The tests, led by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the British Army, used small drones fitted with sensors and artificial intelligence to identify landmines and unexploded ordnance across varied terrain.
Over several weeks, bomb disposal experts from 33 Engineer Regiment worked through simulated minefields in Essex, with dozens of replica devices hidden across different environments. Data gathered by the drones was fed back to operators, who used AI tools to locate and identify threats in real time.
The result, according to officials, is a system that can dramatically speed up explosive ordnance disposal missions while keeping personnel further from danger. In other words, letting machines do the bit that usually ends careers.
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More importantly, the trial showed the AI models could be rapidly retrained to recognise new threats and adapt to changing environments. That matters because modern battlefields do not sit still and politely wait for procurement cycles to catch up.
Defence minister Luke Pollard said the technology reflects a wider push to modernise Britain’s armed forces.
“This is exactly the kind of innovation the Strategic Defence Review calls for, harnessing AI, drones and autonomous systems to boost deterrence and make our Armed Forces stronger,” he said.
The government has committed to doubling investment in autonomous systems from £2bn to £4bn this parliament, part of a broader effort to drag defence thinking into the present decade.
Because, as LBC reported earlier this week, the battlefield has already moved on.
The war in Ukraine has shown how quickly drones and improvised explosive devices can reshape combat, turning vast areas into dense, lethal minefields while forcing armies to adapt in real time. Cheap, adaptable systems are now dictating tempo, not just expensive legacy kit.
Experts have warned Britain risks “fighting tomorrow’s war with yesterday’s thinking” if it cannot keep pace with that shift.
Writing for LBC Opinion, MyDefence UK director Liam Hutcheson said modern warfare now depends on rapid adaptation, constant innovation and the ability to respond instantly to emerging threats.
Drones, he argues, are central to that change, not just because of what they can do, but because of how quickly they can be modified and integrated into wider intelligence networks.
That shift is already forcing a rethink inside the Ministry of Defence, with increasing pressure to speed up procurement so new technology reaches the front line in months rather than years.
The DSTL trial appears to be one of those attempts to close the gap. A technical lead on the project said the threat from explosive ordnance is constantly evolving, meaning the tools used to counter it must evolve just as quickly.
Major Mark Fetters, the British Army’s Future Counter-Explosive Ordnance Capability lead, said the system could significantly improve both the speed and safety of bomb disposal operations.
“The modern battlefield is littered with explosive ordnance,” he said. “This capability will allow operators to conduct their mission faster and remove people from the explosive hazard.”
Further trials are expected later this year, aimed at developing a deployable system that can be used directly by soldiers in the field.
The government has also set out a longer-term ambition for the Army to deliver a tenfold increase in lethality over the next decade, driven by advances in autonomy, surveillance and data-led warfare.