Published 22 September 2025
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Portable drones which will provide the British Army with a crucial edge in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance on the battlefield, are on display at DSEI.
Stalker VXE30 and Indago 4 – known as Eagle and Kestrel by their frontline users – are taking pride of place on manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s stand at the UK’s biggest defence and security exhibition after a year of progress and milestones.
In spring this year, under the DE&S managed Project TIQUILA, Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the fixed-wing Eagle was declared when three detachments from 42 Battery, 32 Regiment Royal Artillery (32 RA) completed their training in the US.
The detachments can now deploy the highly capable and upgradable platform on exercises and operations around the globe. And as the soldiers from 32 RA continue to use Eagle, they are already identifying the next round of capability upgrades provided by Lockheed Martin as systems integrator for the 10-year project.
Simon Holford, Head of the DE&S UAS portfolio, said:
“TIQUILA is an important programme, not only for the best-in-class intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability it delivers to UK Armed Forces, but also because it brings together streamlined approvals with spiral development and pan-Defence Lines of Development coherence to make the Integrated Procurement Model a reality.
“I’ve been really impressed by the UAS TIQUILA team’s collaboration with both front-line commands, and the adoption of ‘Agile’ principles to enable the ‘tactician and technician’ to collaborate at pace.”
Weighing a little over 20kg and with a 4.88m wingspan, Eagle is an operationally proven, vertical-launched, near-silent drone providing up to eight hours of imaging capability and able to range out to 60km.
Kestrel, a smaller quadcopter type, weighing a little over 4kg, can be folded and carried in a backpack and deployed in just three minutes, with a range of up to approximately 12km.
Last year, Eagle was put through rigorous trials at RNAS Predannack in Cornwall. And this spring the inaugural oversees deployment for the UK variant of Eagle took place in the hands of 32RA at Fort Bliss, Texas, as part of Exercise Wessex Frontier.
The primary objective was to enhance the regiment’s knowledge and confidence in the drone and to prepare for any future operational deployments. During the exercise, the platform flew for 48km and was put through its paces in a range of tactical scenarios, including working with US rotary-wing platforms.
Brigadier Matt Birch, the British Army’s Senior Responsible Owner for Land ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance), said:
“It is fantastic that the TIQUILA project has delivered the Eagle brigade level UAS to 32 Regt RA, which has already flown hundreds of hours.
“We continue to conduct agile development with Lockheed Martin through the innovative Capability Integration Cycle to ensure that this capability remains cutting edge, such as the very successful integration into ZODIAC (the Land ISTAR digital ecosystem) and our imminent trial of the latest artificial intelligence image recognition technology.”
After Eagle’s IOC was achieved, flying hours continued to be clocked up and a series of Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) were completed which introduced a common ground control station and ensure quality control of its evolving capabilities.
Becci Broome, Senior Programme Manager for Lockheed Martin Skunk Works UK, said:
“From the outset, our driving force has been to transform potential into performance by delivering equipment that empowers the end-user.
“The positive feedback from Wessex Frontier is truly rewarding. A key factor in our joint success was the decision to pivot to an ‘Agile’ approach. This shift to a culture of adaptability to meet evolving needs has proven highly effective as we progress towards Full Operating Capability.”
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