The Daily Telegraph - 22.08.2019

News

Plastic foam used to plug gaps in island cliff puts wildlife at risk, say environmentalists

By Helena Horton

PLASTIC foam used to fill gaps in a cliff
to stop it eroding is putting seals, dol-
phins, whales and rare birds at risk, en-
vironmental groups have said.
Hilbre Island, between England and
Wales, is known by wildlife lovers as
the perfect place to spot endangered
species and a much-loved grey seal

colony. However, visitors and those

who volunteer to keep the area clean

were shocked to find plastic foam

strewn under the cliffs in easy reach of

wildlife, and swept into the sea during

the bad weather last weekend.

Emily Baxter, the senior marine con-

servation officer for the North West

Wildlife Trust, told The Daily Tele-

graph: “We do get a lot of storms and

bad weather ... so that would be to be

expected, and we certainly shouldn’t

be doing anything that’s going to in-

crease the plastic pollution in our seas.”

She said Wirral council should have

used a material that would be safe for

wildlife if broken by wind and sea.

Chris Cureton, who volunteers for

British Divers Marine Life Rescue in

the area, said: “Unbelievable! Due to

bad weather plastic is being washed di-

rectly into sea! This is the seal haul-out

zone! Crazy!” Meanwhile, Harrison

Catherall, a biologist, wrote on Twitter:

“Wirral Council ... filled an unstable

cave on Hilbre Island with polyure-

thane foam. Before it had time to cure

the tide came in and washed it all away.

#Plastic everywhere!”

A council spokesman said: “The

work that is taking place at Hilbre is es-

sential as it will strengthen support for

part of the cliff face where movement

has been noted. This work is being car-

ried out by contractors and is taking

place in three distinct phases, with the

first phase – to infill a cave beneath the

cliff – beginning last week.

“Unfortunately, severe weather con-

ditions over the weekend had caused

damage to this initial work and resulted

in some of the materials used being

blown across the island.”

‘Due to bad weather plastic

is being washed directly into

the sea. This is the seal

haul-out zone. Crazy’

‘Game-changing’ drones offer RAF a global reach

By Dominic Nicholls DEFENCE AND
SECURITY CORRESPONDENT

THE RAF’s new drone has been un-
veiled for the first time to the crews
that will fly it.
The Protector armed surveillance
drones will be able to fly for up to 40
hours, more than twice the time of the
current Reaper aircraft, and strike ter-
rorists with precision missiles and la-

ser-guided bombs. “Game-changing

technology” means that the Protector

Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) is

capable of taxiing, taking off and land-

ing anywhere in the world controlled

via satellite link from a remote base.

With anti-icing and lightning protec-

tion, it will be able to conduct missions

in adverse weather conditions.

RAF pilots will be able to attack tar-

gets anywhere in the world from their

base in Waddington, Lincs.

Until now, drones needed ground

control stations at the airbases they

flew from and landed at, and were not

certified to fly in regulated airspace

alongside civilian air traffic. The MoD

said that the first Protector flew from

Yuma, in Arizona, to Creech Air Force

Base in Nevada, from where the RAF’s

39 Squadron has been flying missions

in Afghanistan and elsewhere since

2007 using Reaper drones.

RAF personnel from 39 and 54

Squadrons gathered at the base for

their first opportunity to see the air-

craft they will soon be operating.

Air Vice-Marshal Harvey Smyth,

commander of the RAF’s intelligence

and surveillance forces, said: “When

we talk about next generation Air Force

one of the capabilities that we’re deliv-

ering is Protector.

“This idea that we’ll have an RPAS

that can operate anywhere at any time

in controlled airspace alongside airlin-

ers is an absolutely game-changing ca-

pability.”

Built by US firm General Atomics

and due to enter service in 2024, it will

be operated by a pilot, sensor operator

and a mission intelligence coordinator.

It will carry up to 18 Brimstone mis-

siles, which have been used to attack

moving targets such as armoured vehi-

cles, as well as Paveway IV laser-guided

bombs.

The 38ft-long aircraft has a 50 per

cent payload increase over Reapers.

Britain is buying 16 Protectors, with

a possible 10 to follow. Like Reaper,

they will be flown by 13 Squadron from

RAF Waddington and 39 Squadron

from Creech Air Force Base. Wg Cdr

Colin Welsh, the officer commanding

39 Squadron, said: “It takes everything

that’s great about Reaper and adds a

whole bundle of capabilities.”

Tim Ripley, of Jane’s Defence Weekly,

said the RAF was breaking new ground

in RPAS technology.

“It offers a truly global power projec-

tion capability,” he said. “Not even the

US have the ability to take-off and land

drones controlled via satellite from an-

other ground station.”

An RAF spokesman said: “UK RPAS

aircraft are controlled by highly trained

RAF pilots who adhere strictly to the

same laws of armed conflict and rules

of engagement as traditionally manned

RAF aircraft.”

Britain is buying 16 US-produced Protector drones, with a possible 10 to follow. The remotely controlled aircraft can fly for up to 40 hours and carry up to 18 Brimstone missiles capable of hitting moving targets such as armoured vehicles

MOD

Deadly Protector aircraft

can be flown remotely to

anywhere in the world by

pilots sitting in a UK base

uProtector

Length: 11.43m

Height: 3.78m

Wingspan:

24.07m

Speed: 250kt

Max altitude:

50,000ft

Weapons:

Brimstone laser

and radar-

guided low-

collateral

missiles

Paveway IV

(500lb bomb)

uReaper

Length: 10.97m

Height: 3.66m

Wingspan:

20.12m

Speed: 250kt

Max altitude:

50,000ft

Weapons:

Hellfire missiles,

Paveway 500lb

bomb

Aerial enforcers Firepower

without need for manpower

8 ***^ Thursday 22 August 2019 The Daily Telegraph

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