StormShroud drones to help UK ‘stand up to Putin', says Keir Starmer

A British drone will fly ahead of RAF fighter jets and disrupt enemy air defence systems before F-35s and Typhoons get close to their targets.
The StormShroud air system came into operation on Friday as Sir Keir Starmer vowed that the government would 'stand up to Putin and ruthlessly protect UK and European security'.
The first of its kind, the drone will be fitted with a high-tech signal jammer — BriteStorm — that can disrupt enemy radar at long range and allow combat jets to attack targets unseen.
About 24 drones are expected to enter service as part of Ministry of Defence plans to modernise the force and rely more on unmanned systems than pilots.
Once launched, the drones can operate autonomously without the need

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Record

3 days ago

• Daily Record

Aerospace firm powers up Prestwick with on-site solar energy

More than 1,400 solar panels have been installed on the roof of Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre, marking a significant milestone in NATS' aim to be a net zero company by 2035. An aerospace firm has taken a giant step on the road to becoming a carbon zero company - by installing solar panels on their Ayrshire HQ. Ayrshire Live previously told in November how NATS Prestwick were given the green light to generate a chunk of their electrical needs from solar energy. ‌ Now more than 1,400 solar panels have been installed on the roof of Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre, marking a significant milestone in NATS' aim to be a net zero company by 2035. ‌ The array went live on 28 April and has already generated over 128,000 kWh of renewable electricity - and expected to deliver around 600,000 kwh annually. The Prestwick Centre provides vital air traffic control services across Scotland, northern England and out into the North East Atlantic to more than a million aircraft per year and will receive approximately 10 per cent of its total electricity needs from the rooftop solar panels. Having already reduced electricity use across all NATS sites by 40 per cent since 2006, this marks the first phase of an extensive renewable energy rollout at the Prestwick site. The second phase, a ground-mounted solar array, is currently under construction following planning approval earlier this year. This will add nearly 800 extra panels, projected to generate a further 400,000 kWh of clean electricity per year. NATS has progressively increased its annual procurement of renewable electricity since 2018/9 and together with other emissions reduction targets it has been recognised as one of Europe's Climate Leaders for five years running by the Financial Times & Statista, topping the list in 2024. This special report names just 600 European companies that have achieved the greatest reduction in their Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions. ‌ Ian Lane, Carbon Manager, NATS, said: 'This is a big step forward in our plan to reduce indirect emissions from electricity use which makes up around half of our overall CO2 emissions. The results in the first month alone show the real potential of on-site renewable energy generation.' This was the second large-scale solar installation by NATS. In July 2024, 2,600 panels were fitted to the roof of its Swanwick air traffic control centre in Hampshire, producing 590,000 kWh of renewable energy so far. By the end of 2025, installations across roof, ground and adjoining land will take the count to 12,000 panels, generating up to 21 per cent of both centres' energy. Ian continued: 'While the solar installations are a vital part of our energy transition, we are also focused on improving overall energy efficiency and removing gas from our operations. This is an essential part of our transition to becoming a carbon negative company by 2040.'

The Guardian

3 days ago

• The Guardian

Keir Starmer's AI tsar to step down after six months in role

Keir Starmer's artificial intelligence tsar, a key figure in steering the government's approach to artificial intelligence, is stepping down after six months in the role. Matt Clifford, the author of the government's AI opportunities action plan, said: he would leave his post next month for personal reasons. He described his work on drafting and implementing the 50-point plan as a 'privilege', adding he was 'hugely optimistic about the UK's potential to be an AI superpower'. 'For family reasons, I will step back from my role as the prime minister's adviser on AI opportunities at the end of July, but I'm delighted that this important work will continue across government.' A government spokesperson said Starmer had thanked Clifford, who was appointed in January, for his 'dedicated work' on AI policy. 'We will be building on this work to bolster AI expertise across government and cement the UK's position as a world leader in AI,' the spokesperson said. Clifford came to prominence as a tech investor – he is the chair of the investment firm Entrepreneurs First – but was already established as an influential political adviser before Labour won the 2024 general election. The 39 year-old played a key role in organising the global AI Safety summit, hosted by Rishi Sunak in 2023, and establishing the government's AI Safety Institute, now called the AI Security Institute. Clifford published the action plan in January and its recommendations were accepted in full by the government. They included: creating AI 'growth zones' to host data centres that are the 'central nervous system' of the technology; embedding AI in the public sector; and creating 'national champion' AI companies. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The plan also recommended changes to the UK's copyright regime, reflecting the need for AI companies to use copyright-protected data to train their systems. The issue has become a battleground between the government and the tech sector on one side and the creative industries on the other, who argue that it poses a serious threat to creative professionals' livelihoods. Beeban Kidron, a crossbench peer and a leading campaigner against the proposed copyright changes, criticised the government for taking guidance from tech sector-linked advisers such as Clifford. At the time sources told the Guardian that Clifford had agreed not to buy or sell any of the companies he part-owns while working for the government, or to be involved in decisions on new investments made by Entrepreneur First.

Daily Mirror

3 days ago

• Daily Mirror

'My EV charged 76 miles in minutes for £6 - fuel drivers are missing a trick'

British motorist Jordan has busted one of the biggest myths surrounding electrical vehicles (EVs) after revealing just how cheap it costs to charge his car over 75 miles A switched-on TikToker has pointed out a key advantage to electric vehicles (EVs) that many petrol and diesel drivers might be overlooking. User Jordan the EV Guy recently shared a practical video demonstration of how quick, easy and affordable charging an EV really is. In a now-viral video, he begins by posing the question: "How fast can you charge an electric car when it's not already over 80 per cent?" To answer, Jordan set himself a real-world challenge to see how many miles he could add to his EV in less than 10 minutes. ‌ While he didn't actually need to charge his EV — as there were already enough miles on it to get home — Jordan took heed of his own advice. "I always say charge while stopped," he explained. ‌ He recommends taking advantage of any pause in your journey to top up your battery, even just a little, rather than waiting to do so until it's low. Before charging, his car displayed 31 miles of range. He plugged in at 3.38 pm and headed inside as he was 'dying for a drink and the loo'. Making a point of not obsessing over the charging stats or kilowatts delivered, he simply plugged it in and went about his business. Jordan observed an interesting phenomenon — several petrol cars parked near his EV were still there on his return. He spotted the same red Volkswagen Golf, silver Ford Fiesta and Audi A3 still sitting there, challenging the myth that petrol drivers never have to stop for long periods of time, while EV drivers supposedly do. Jordan exclaimed: "Don't ever tell me that petrol cars don't stop for longer than EVs." Jordan returned to his car at 3.47 pm. His EV was still plugged in, with its range now reading 107 miles. So in just nine minutes, he added 76 miles of range at a cost of 'just over £6', describing it as a 'rapid fast pit stop'. He also pointed out that if he had stayed as long as the petrol drivers he observed, he could have added even more miles. His key piece of advice is simple: "Charge while stopped and just take what you need. There is no need to be sitting around." This experience underlines a crucial benefit of EV ownership that many fossil fuel drivers might not realise — charging needn't be a massive inconvenience. With rapid chargers and a bit of planning, you can top up your EV in the time it takes to grab a coffee and use the restroom. As Jordan's story shows, some petrol and diesel drivers really are missing a trick.