HYPERSONIC rockets and dragonfly-like drones developed by Oxfordshire scientists will help keep Britain ahead of its enemies, the Defence Secretary has said.

Sir Michael Fallon praised the cutting-edge projects as examples of ‘great innovation’ the Government wanted to support more of.

In a visit to Oxford yesterday, he also announced Harwell-based astronaut Tim Peake would be on a new ‘Dragon’s Den-style’ panel to advise the Ministry of Defence on what research to fund. 

Speaking at Oxford University’s department for engineering, in Banbury Road, he said: “Oxford is inspiring others to transform ideas into great innovation.”

And he encouraged businesses developing commercial technologies to think about whether they had defence uses, adding: “Even if an idea isn’t full developed, we still want to hear it.”

Sir Michael visited Oxfordshire firms Reaction Engines and Animal Dynamics for tours, hailing them as ‘makers of tomorrow’.

Reaction Engines is developing a hypersonic rocket that can take off from a runway and fly into space and Animal Dynamics has built the ‘Skeeter’ micro-drone, which has wings that mimic a dragonfly.

These ideas could help give the armed forces an edge against Britain’s’ enemies, Sir Michael said. He added: “We have seen our adversaries are capable of moving ahead with technology, particularly with the use of drones. We have to make sure our drones can fly faster and in all conditions.”

After a visit to Oxford University’s Centre for Applied Superconductivity, he announced space hero Major Peake would be joined by McLaren boss Ron Dennis and top spook Robert Hannigan, outgoing GCHQ director, on the new Defence Innovation Advisory Panel.

They will advise ministers on how to spend an £800m ‘innovation fund’, which will be targeted at funding groundbreaking science that could have defence uses.

Major Peake became the first Briton to board the International Space Station last year when he spent 186 days in space on a European Space Agency mission.

Sir Michael said: “Space, like cyber, is the next domain. Other countries are investing very heavily in space and some are putting satellites up there with military applications. We have to be sure we can deal with that and Tim will be helping to advise us.”

Sir Michael also confirmed former Oxford don Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte as the UK’s new Chief Scientific Advisor.