Described as an Apache gunship that fits in the back of your car, the British-made Hydra drone has the potential to be a game-changer on the battlefield. The unmanned device, which will use rotors and rocket boosters to lift up to 400kg, can be fitted out to carry everything from laser-guided Brimstone missiles to a heavy machine gun. The Hydra was showcased by the Army at last September’s Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London. It is exactly the sort of innovation the military wants to see more of. But after four years of fruitless talks with officials, Hydra says it still doesn’t know whether the Ministry of Defence will ever fund its idea to completion. Bosses have already sunk more than £800,000 into the company, with demo versions of the drone tested in Army exercises at Salisbury Plain in 2022 and 2023. To produce a final prototype the company needs to raise £500,000 – money it had hoped to secure from the MoD until January, when it was suddenly told that budget freezes would make this impossible. Since then, they have heard nothing. The situation has forced Hydra to canvass further afield for potential partners. Indonesia is...