Civilian contractors are being sent to Afghanistan to operate military pilotless aircraft, the Times has reported.

QinetiQ has operators working with the Royal Netherlands Army in Uruzgan province in central Afghanistan providing a system of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be called on at any time by the Dutch forces. UAVs are being used increasingly by the Nato-led operation in Afghanistan, although American and British forces generally operate them themselves.

Outsourcing is expected to grow as pressure on defence spending rises, but it is controversial in conflict zones because it requires qualities such as flexibility, trust and mutual understanding that are difficult to write into a standard contract.