The armed forces will be equipped with more than 250 mini surveillance drones, including packable ones weighing just over 2.5 kilograms, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The small foldable Indago drone and the Stalker, a near-silent drone weighing 20kg and providing more than eight hours of images, will be operational by the end of 2024.

Replacing the mini uncrewed aerial systems, the new remotely piloted systems will help UK troops locate and identify potential targets and gather intelligence.

Lockheed Martin UK was awarded a £129 million contract to deliver the drones, supporting jobs at the company and in the supply chain for the next decade, the MoD said.

Defence procurement minister Alex Chalk said: “As the global threat changes, it’s crucial we remain at the forefront of innovation, delivering cutting-edge capabilities to our deployed forces.

“This is another fantastic example of British industry supporting UK defence technology.”