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Photos: Unmanned 'spy in the sky' passes first test
As plane as can be

By Jo Best

Published: Wednesday 26 November 2008

The Ministry of Defence's £800m vision of an unmanned spy plane got a step closer with the first official systems tests of Watchkeeper, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under development by contractor Thales.

Thales, which landed the UAV contract in 2005, has been giving Watchkeeper - seen here - a run out in Israel.

Watchkeeper will gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information without the need for a piloted plane.

The UAV now operates with dual payloads - for example, in flight, it can operate with radar as well as stream imagery to the ground control station, according to a Thales' spokeswoman.

Photo credit: Thales UK