THE first unmanned flight over British airspace has been completed.

Aerospace company BAE Systems flew a Jetstream 31 – dubbed the "flying test bed" – from Warton in Lancashire to Inverness.

Strictly speaking, the flight was not unmanned, in that two pilots were in the cockpit as a precaution. But BAE Systems said: "They were sitting there having a coffee. They did not have to do anything."

The aircraft was controlled by a pilot at Warton using advanced sensors and on-board robotic systems.

The flight was part of the £62 million ASTRAEA (Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation and Assessment) programme, which is backed by the Government.

Previous test flights were over the Irish Sea but this flight was the first over airspace used by other aircraft with the Jetstream able to use its "sense and avoid" system to dodge collisions. The aircraft can also detect and avoid bad weather conditions and can relay air traffic control instructions to the pilot on the ground.

The programme could be used for search and rescue operations far out at sea.

ASTRAEA programme director Lambert Dopping-Hepenstal said it "will likely impact all of us in the next five, 10, 20 years as unmanned aircraft and associated technology develop and become a part of everyday life".