Two multi-million pound British Army drones crashed after taking off from a base in mid Wales, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
The unmanned Watchkeeper aircraft were lost in the Irish Sea earlier this year, leading commanders to temporarily ground the entire fleet.
Flight trials resumed at Aberporth Airport in Ceredigion in early July.
The crashes are the latest in a series of accidents and delays to have hit the Army’s new spy planes.
The MoD ordered 54 Watchkeepers in 2005 as part of an £847m deal.
Originally, it was hoped they would be in service by 2010.
A recent report from the UK infrastructure and projects authority said the project had already cost £1.1bn.
Delays have been blamed on technical and safety issues and a lack of trained personnel.
The MoD said despite the crashes, it hoped to bring the aircraft into full service by the end of the year.
A spokesman said: “Inquiries into the specific incidents are ongoing as they look to learn all they can from the events”.
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