Secret weapon revealed in fight against drug deliveries to UK's most troubled prisons
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A drone dubbed the “flying guard dog” could cripple crime gangs flooding prisons with weapons and drugs. Two high-security jails were said to have lost control of the air space above them in the latest watchdog report. Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor warned illicit drone drops now posed a “threat to national security”.
Basic anti-drone measures such as netting and CCTV had fallen into disrepair, with drug deliveries rife. But the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted permission to a UK firm to provide groundbreaking flights capable of “revolutionising” security in British jails.
The remotely controlled flights use a command hub on Tyneside. Their hi-tech £10,500 drones were described as ‘flying guard dogs’ by the CAA. Hidden in a box, they can be summoned into action 24 hours a day to patrol prison grounds and airspace. Ruairi Hardman, of the firm Heliguy, says the approval is a “gamechanger” for prison security. “Britain’s prisons are under siege, but this has the potential to help make it a fair fight,” said Ruairi.
The firm has exclusive permission to carry out beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights. Typically, UK drone flights must be carried out with the pilot able to see the craft at all times. But the regulator’s decision means Heliguy can carry out flights remotely for the first time ever. Ruairi added: “This is a major milestone as it helps unlock the full enormous power of drones for the security industry. Drones in the wrong hands are causing a problem.
