Britain has made the right call on drones.

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After years of defence debates that were too often stuck in the past, the Government’s Defence Investment Plan finally takes meaningful steps towards embracing the future and a truth that modern warfare has made impossible to ignore: drones are no longer a specialist add-on.

The Government’s backing of £5 billion over four years across land, sea and air proves an understanding that autonomous vehicles are now central to how wars are fought, how borders are tested, and how governments are put under pressure.

It’s also important to credit the Government with understanding that drones are not a battlefield panacea. The point is not to swap hard military strength for uncrewed systems, but to make the forces around them more effective. Used properly, they can help warships, aircraft and soldiers see further, strike faster, absorb risk and survive in contested spaces.

But the crucial question now lies in delivery. What use is that cutting-edge technology if it's not available to us soon, or is out of date........

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