£2 billion UK Apache helicopter gunships to get protection from drones as they fly too slowly over the battlefield

Defence chiefs are to invest billions on drones to protect ‘slowcoach’ Apache helicopters previously flown by Prince Harry, the Mail has learned.

With their 30mm chain guns and Hellfire missiles, Apaches saved countless lives in Afghanistan and are considered vital to future frontline operations.

However, in Ukraine, Russian attack helicopters operating along the line of combat engagement have proved vulnerable to cheap to produce kamikaze drones.

As a result, a major review of Britain’s defence priorities will focus on purchasing drones to protect ‘legacy’ helicopters, other aircraft and armoured vehicles.

The long-awaited Strategic Defence Review, to be published on Monday, could commit more than £4 billion in additional funding for crewless systems.

The drones, or Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs), will be managed by the Royal Air Force and will be introduced into service over the next decade.

Systems tipped by defence insiders to be on the Ministry of Defence’s shopping list include ‘Loyal Wingman’ drones which incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The integration of crewed and uncrewed aircraft into a collaborative fighting force is known as Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T).

The regular flying speed of the Army Air Corps’ Apaches is around 180mph. Britain has a fleet of 50 (AH-6E) helicopter gunships made by Boeing and worth more than £2 billion.

An Army Air Corps pilot prepares an Apache helicopter gunship for takeoff at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk in 2023.

Prince Harry, or Captain Wales as he was known during his British Army career, learned to fly Apache and served on the frontline in Afghanistan as part of 662 Squadron, Army Air Corps. 

On operations, a primary role of the Apaches is to protect the CH47 Chinook transport helicopters which deliver troops and supplies. The Apaches take off first because they are slower in the air.

Last night, an Army source said: ‘When you were on a mission in Afghanistan, the Apaches would take off first because they were slow and we would follow in a Chinook transport helicopter and catch them up.

‘The vulnerability of helicopter gunships on the frontline has been a major takeaway from Ukraine and given the UK’s long-term commitment to the Apache, this issue has to be addressed.

‘To remain a viable option on the frontline, the Apaches will require crewless escorts to eliminate threats in what is a very crowded battlespace.

‘Everything has changed in the last few years. Low-level flying was always danger but it has gone to another level now.

‘The Apache fleet is worth around £2billion. That’s a big write off if it has become obsolete.’

The RAF published its Autonomous Collaborative Platform strategy last year. The service is committed to conducting MUM-T operations routinely by 2030.

An uncrewed StormShroud drone from the RAF’s Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) programme. The RAF want combined crewed and uncrewed sorties to be routine from 2030.

StormShroud will be used to support F-35Bs. A different category of drones, known as ‘Loyal Wingman’ are expected to protect Apaches.

Last night, Matthew Savill, from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said: ‘A figure of £4bn additional funding on uncrewed systems would be a start. The SDR will have to prioritised between crewed and uncrewed.

‘It is an interesting idea to put up drones to protect helicopters but that is a lot of clutter close to the ground. Armoured vehicles and tanks, such as Challenger 3, will also require active protection by drones to protect against other drones.’

According to insiders, the SDR will commit ‘less than £10 billion of additional funding’ for new equipment over the duration of this parliament.

As the UK’s annual defence budget is currently £56.9 billion, £10 billion or less over four years was described last night as ‘less than transformational’.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: ‘If this proves a damp squib SDR then blames lies with Labour’s failure to properly fund defence.

‘It should resist further welfare spending so we can go to 3 per cent of GDP on defence and give our military the tools for the job.’

In a bid to reengage Britain’s military with the civilian population, schoolchildren are to be taught the value of the armed forces, also as part of the Strategic Defence Review.

The Ministry of Defence is looking to engage with the Department for Education on a project to challenge an apparent ‘disconnect’ between the armed forces and civilians.

For the UK to sustain any long-term conflict against a peer adversary, it will be required to regenerate its forces from its civilian population, either voluntarily or through drafting.

The MOD hopes to make pupils more aware of employment opportunities within the Army, Navy and RAF beyond the stereotypical roles of each service.

These classes would be delivered as part of the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PHSE) curriculum.

Last night, the MOD said: ‘We will not be drawn into commenting on claims regarding the review ahead of publication.

‘This Government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War – 2.5% by 2027 and 3% in the next Parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5 billion this financial year.

“The SDR will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK – making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.’

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