MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy submarines could soon be able to launch drones while being submerged to spy on Russian vessels near the country’s coast in the near future, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.
The newspaper reported, citing a Royal Navy source that the subs would be equipped with the so-called Outrider drone, that may be launched from a canister, fired by a vessel from beneath the waves.
The aerial vehicle is reportedly almost silent and can send back images of enemy vessels for two and a half hours.
"We could hunt down any adversary with this piece of kit," the source told the publication.
The Outrider drones are not equipped with weapons, and are not reusable, the outlet continued. Also, the aerial vehicles cannot return to a submarine, however, they can be recovered on land, the newspaper added.
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The media report followed a statement made by new UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson, who said earlier in November, that Russian submarine activity near the UK coast had allegedly increased ten-fold over the past several years.
The Outrider was initially presented by US military equipment manufacturer Lockheed Martin in September.