THE British Army's next generation of Unmanned Air System (UAS) Watchkeeper, operated by Larkhill based 32 and 37 Regiments, RA, is now fully operational in Afghanistan.

This new capability is providing force protection for British troops as they prepare to draw down from Afghanistan by the end of this year.

Watchkeeper can carry out surveillance tasks and gains situational awareness via its cutting-edge cameras and radar capability.

Soldiers from 47 Regiment are currently deployed in Afghanistan and were visited by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, at Camp Bastion where he met soldiers operating Watchkeeper and saw the UAS in flight.

General Houghton said: “The enhanced real-time situational awareness Watchkeeper provides means that our local understanding is greater, our tactical decisions better informed, and that, ultimately, personnel on the ground are safer.”

Watchkeeper pilot and payload operator Sergeant Alex Buchanan said: “It’s been a real privilege to be the first to fly the Army’s new Watchkeeper remotely-piloted air system on operations. It’s an amazing capability and has already provided important information to troops, enhancing the safety of everyone that lives and works at Camp Bastion.

“The video and images we provide are a bit like what you might have seen during police chases on TV; the main differences are the videos and pictures are a much higher resolution and we fly the aircraft from a control centre on the ground.”

Following the handover of Camp Bastion, the UAS will return home to Boscombe Down where Royal Artillery soldiers will continue to train with the system in restricted airspace over Salisbury Plain.