Lockheed Martin’s Stalker VXE30 sUAS has been put through successful trials by the British Armed Forces at RNAS Predannack in Cornwall, UK, as part of Project TIQUILA.

The Stalker VXE30 flew 20 hours of trials in challenging weather conditions that pushed the platform to its limits. Project TIQUILA is designed to deliver sUAS capabilities to UK Forces, throughout the life of the 10-year project.

The recent trial was undertaken by an expert team made up of the Joint UAS Test and Evaluation Flight (JUAS TEF), part of 744 Naval Air Squadron (744 NAS), Air & Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) and Defence Equipment and Support’s TIQUILA Delivery Team. As a key part of capability acceptance, the initial Flight trials provide data to prove the equipment will provide value for money.

Hannah Haggett, at DE&S said: 

“The REIVER series, as a vital part of Project TIQUILA, is the latest in a series of important T&E trials as part of the wider TIQUILA enterprise. It is crucial we provide the military with cutting-edge capabilities now but also equipment that can be continually upgraded to keep pace with emerging threats in an ever-evolving, demanding battlespace. Testing early and appropriately will underpin both capabilities and from the evidence generated from the trials thus far, the equipment is high quality and is performing as expected.”

In December 2022, it was announced that more than 250 mini drones would be delivered to the Armed Forces under a contract worth £129 million with Lockheed Martin UK, which supports jobs in Havant and Gloucester as well as across the wider UK supply chain.

Weighing a little over 20 kilogrammes and with a 4.88 metre wingspan, the STALKER VXE30 Air Vehicle (Av) is an operationally proven, vertical-launched, near-silent drone providing up to eight hours of imaging capability and able to range out to 60km.