The winning designer will receive a development contract from the MoD and the TJ Mitchell Trophy, named after the man who designed the Spitfire aeroplane, used by Britain during the Second World War.

While the government normally presents its requirements for new technology to industry, which would then be awarded a contract, Drayson, who is in charge of defence procurement, said there were other ways to stimulate innovation.

"What we want to do is is to encourage people who particularly might not be working on defence problems at the moment to be stimulated to apply their know-how...to be thinking about this particular problem," he told the BBC.

Drayson added that he was looking for technology which would give soldiers patrolling cities "eyes in the back of their head".

It would complement information provided by drones and satellites and should be around the size of a football and light enough to be carried.

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