Australian pilots drafted to help fly UK drones over Syria and Iraq

RAF crew shortage and concerns over stresses of piloting deadly aircraft behind MoD move

Australian airforce pilots and private contractors are being drafted in to help fly UK armed Reaper drones over Syria and Iraq amid shortages in RAF crew and concern over the stresses of piloting deadly unmanned aircraft.

Their presence allows the RAF to deploy its trained pilots more efficiently on combat missions and helps plug the crew shortages that are deemed to be the greatest risk to the UK's 1.1bn future drone programme.