asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces are qualified to operate unmanned aerial vehicles in a pilot role; how many are currently undergoing training; and what is the target number when the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle is in service. [HL5877]
The following table shows, by unmanned air vehicle type, the number of pilots trained and qualified and the number currently in training as at 29 October 2008.
Type Number of Qualified Pilots Number of Personnel in Pilot Training Hermes 450 74 24 Desert Hawk 3 120 38 Reaper 14 3
The target number of trained and qualified pilots for Watchkeeper when it is in service is 120.