'Let drones replace our nuclear weapons'

Britain should replace its nuclear weapons with Star Wars-style "drones" that can hit a target anywhere on earth in 60 minutes, a senior Whitehall official says.

The civil servant, who insisted on anonymity, writes in a report that "layered missile defence" would also help boost Britain's relations with the US. Described as someone who works on "foreign and security policy", he warns that Labour's plan for closer EU defence is endangering Britain's links with America.

His report says the Government should develop a hypersonic unmanned weapon as a replacement for the Trident nuclear missile.

A drone "capable of hitting any target on earth within 60 minutes with bombs, sensor swarms, autonomous vehicles etc. is a realistic ambition for Britain that would provide us with a post-Trident deterrent and a capability to exert global influence", he says.