More than 5,000 soldiers are packing up equipment at Camp Bastion in the final months of the Afghan campaign.
Commanders ordered the SAS mission over fears the Taliban are preparing to mount an offensive next month – dubbed the “shooting season” – as they have done every year since 2006.
A new unmanned aerial unit has been created and the SAS soldiers – motto “Who Dares Wins” – have been issued with tiny planes and helicopters fitted with cameras.
Specialists from Royal Marine and Royal Artillery air defence units who have spent months training in the California desert to hone their skills on the new equipment have been attached to the special forces patrols.
Some of the drones are launched from base while smaller, hand-held examples are carried in a backpack and launched by a specialist.
A senior source revealed that since the hi-tech kit was introduced it has made a significant impact, with special forces being able to call in air power to deal with any threats.
SKY SPY: Full-sized Reapers can fire Hellfire missiles and drop 500lb bombs [GETTY] The source said: “It allows a much bigger area to be monitored than could be achieved on foot and has allowed us to dominate the battle space.“If something is seen, Afghan forces are sent in and we follow”
"If something is seen, Afghan forces are sent in and we follow.
"But if there is an imminent threat to UK soldiers then we will eliminate it ourselves or with Reaper drones.”
The full-sized Reapers, which have clocked up 50,000 hours’ flying time in Afghanistan, can fire Hellfire missiles and drop 500lb bombs.
As well as the tiny helicopters, called Black Hornets, which can look ahead of a patrol to identify hidden dangers, the SAS have been issued with miniature planes that can fly in unnoticed.
The Hornet relays video and still images to troops via a handheld terminal.
They can either pilot it directly or program it to fly to a given set of GPS co-ordinates on the battlefield.
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