Military to get new powers to destroy drones threatening military bases
British personnel will be handed new powers to shoot down drones, the Defence Secretary will unveil in a speech, meaning troops can take decisive action.
The new powers to defend military bases will be included in the Armed Forces Bill, with John Healey pledging to "do what's needed to keep the British people safe".
It comes after several British air bases utilised by US forces, including RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell, reported drone sightings in November last year, and drones violated European airspace numerous times in the last few months.
Mr Healey will reference the incursion by Russian drones into Polish airspace, which led to Polish F-16 fighter jets shooting down uncrewed aerial vehicles, in his speech.
"Last month, we saw 19 drones cross the Polish border," Mr Healey will say at the Lord Mayor of London Defence and Security Lecture on Monday evening.
"Days later, Russian jets violated Estonia's airspace, while at the same time, Russia mounted a concerted campaign to subvert Moldova's election."
The new powers will only apply to military sites; however, the rules could be expanded to civilian locations such as airports, according to the BBC.
The current guidance for personnel is that unknown drones must have their GPS signal disrupted or be moved away from the area.
An unspecified drone can only be obliterated in extreme circumstances.
These threats can threaten the UK, the Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP will say.
"Here at home, we continue to defend ourselves daily from threats from the seabed to cyberspace," Mr Healey will declare.
"We will always do what's needed to keep the British people safe, and as we speak, we are developing new powers – to be put through our Armed Forces Bill – to shoot down unidentified drones over UK military sites."
The UK deployed counter-drone experts to Denmark in September, equipped with advanced kit to detect, track, identify, and if needed, destroy hostile drones, following suspicious activity.
Around 60 Royal Air Force personnel were involved in the investigation to find out what happened on the UK bases.
Washington and London have not confirmed who flew the uncrewed aerial vehicles over the British bases.
European leaders have backed plans to put up a drone 'wall' – a defensive system to protect the region.
Russia has sent more than 3,000 one-way attack drones to Ukraine in October so far, following 5,500 last month.
Moscow has denied any involvement in drones flying into airspace over Denmark, Poland, Estonia and Romania.
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