By Sarah Young and Tim Hepher

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain’s BAE Systems and U.S. arms giant Lockheed Martin announced a tie-up between their secretive research units to develop a new uncrewed autonomous air system, a rare research partnership in the red-hot drone sector.

The pair laid out plans for a “strategic collaboration” between BAE Systems’ Falcon Works and Lockheed’s Skunk Works at the DSEI arms fair in London on Monday.

Dave Holmes, managing director of BAE FalconWorks said that by working together, the two could more efficiently and quickly develop a range of systems.

“Normally, prime organisations would seek to go and develop these things in isolation,” Holmes told Reuters.

“The driver is about delivering a technical solution as soon as possible at an affordable price,” he add

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