Military to shoot down drones as incidents around UK bases doubles

UK troops will be able to shoot down drones near their bases under powers rushed in to counter a doubling of dangerous incidents.

Last year there were more than 250 drone incidents near UK bases with foreign states suspected of involvement.

While in 2024 British soldiers specialising in counter-drone warfare were scrambled to four US bases in the UK after multiple sinister drone sighting.

Swarms of up to 20 drones were spotted at American airbases in Suffolk, Norfolk and Gloucestershire.

These were described by police as 'non-hobby' drones raising fears the unidentified platforms were part of a Kremlin reconnaissance operation.

On Monday night, Defence Secretary John Healey said: 'The doubling of rogue drones near military sites in the last year underlines the increasing and changing nature of the threats we face.

'Through the Armed Forces Bill we are giving our military greater powers to take out and shoot down threatening drones near bases and stepping up investment in counter-drone technology to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.'

Previously, troops were restricted to divert drones or taking measures to shield the airspace over and around military bases. New technologies may also be harnessed such as lasers.

Personnel aboard Royal Navy ships will be granted the same enhanced authorities to take action at sea, above the water, on the water and beneath the water.

There were 266 incidents 'Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle' incidents near defence sites in 2025 up from 126 in 2024.

Tighter legislation has also been introduced around use of drones, including licences for aircraft weighing more than 100g. The previous weight ceiling was 250g which permitted use of much larger platforms.

Meanwhile European allies are discussing 'drone walls' connecting Scandinavia, the Baltic states and Eastern European states such as Poland after repeated Russian invasions of NATO airspace.

The first pan-European drone wall is expected to be operational from 2027.

With drones taking over the battlefield in modern warfare, the UK government has quadrupled its expenditure in this specialised area, allocating more than £200 million over 2026.

Meanwhile, restricted airspace status has come into effect at 40 UK military sites, backed by enhanced CCTV coverage and additional base security.

The drones that flew into US bases across the country last year flew over the runways at low altitude causing a potential fatal threat to aircraft crews.

These incidents were investigated. The Ministry of Defence has refused to comment on the findings of an investigation by MOD Police.