William tries flying drone during Army live firing exercise

The Prince of Wales has spoken astir the “reality” of drone warfare arsenic helium tried flying an unmanned aerial conveyance during a grooming league with the Welsh Guards.

William became colonel of the regiment past twelvemonth and joined soldiers from its 1st Battalion practising unrecorded firing connected Salisbury Plain.

Drones person go a important subject limb connected the battlefield successful the warfare successful Ukraine, utilized extensively by some sides successful the conflict.

The prince appeared to bask flying the craft and 1 of the regiment’s elder drone operators said afterwards that each 1 outgo £7,000.

He said astir the prince: “With the drones helium was saying what’s happening is reality.”

The drone operator, who declined to springiness his name, added: “It’s a caller spot of kit brought into a subject context.

“Drones person been a happening for years but present we’re utilising them arsenic an plus connected the crushed and it’s proven palmy successful existent affairs that’s really happening now.”

William wore camouflage cogwheel and a beret for his sojourn to Salisbury Plain and the erstwhile Army serviceman besides got to grips with a sniper’s firearm and fired a instrumentality gun.

The prince crouched down to look done the sights of the instrumentality weapon and occurrence a “full belt” of 200 rounds astatine a disused vessel astir 1 kilometre away

The instrumentality weapon platoon commander, who formed a watchful oculus implicit William added: “He was firing astir 800 metres and did good hitting the target.”

For the past 2 years the 1st Battalion has been performing ceremonial duties known arsenic the “blue line” and from January 2025 volition instrumentality to “green soldiering” and walk clip connected regrowing the regiment’s specializer weapons capabilities.

Soldiers took portion successful Queen Elizabeth II’s authorities funeral, King Charles’s coronation and his archetypal Trooping the Colour ceremonial arsenic monarch.

The platoon commandant described the royal sojourn arsenic “very special” adding: “The regiment has a agelong past with His Majesty the King, formerly the Prince of Wales, and present his royal highness.

“And truthful this is astonishing morale for the guys particularly erstwhile they’ve been doing a batch of ceremonial duties… and besides connected a sojourn similar this… they tin get hands connected with him, amusement him however it’s done and I deliberation that means a batch to them.”