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Drone speedboat isn't

A demonstration of an "unmanned surface vessel" in London yesterday actually took place with a coxswain sat inside the boat.

The Bladerunner speedboat is a remote-controlled technology demonstrator being used by the Ministry of Defence. Yesterday Bladerunner, in the company of Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Archer, performed some manoeuvres on the Thames between Tower Bridge and London Bridge.

Alex Pettitt, who was presenting a live video of the event from Archer's bridge, stuttered: "We can't go unmanned today so there are coxswains in the vessel."

The demo was a promotional event for the RN exercise Unmanned Warrior, where a number of firms will compete to provide AI and drone technology to the armed forces. ®

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