January 30th 2025.
Over 200 times, uncrewed aerial systems have been detected flying over or near UK military facilities, according to data released by the Ministry of Defence Police. This marks a significant increase from the previous year, where only 164 instances were reported. It seems that the unauthorized use of drones near these sensitive locations is on the rise, requiring the police to allocate more time and resources towards addressing the issue.
Out of the 260 reported incidents, the vast majority resulted in nothing being found. However, there was one exception where a drone alarm was activated and a pilot was eventually located and arrested. In other cases, pilots were given warnings after their drones were found on the floor within military sites. It is worth noting that the police were unable to trace the cause of the drone alarms in the majority of cases, which could be due to false alarms or difficulties in finding the pilot in a wide area.
The use of drones has evolved to the point where they can now be deployed as attack vehicles, raising security concerns. While drones can range from toys to light aircraft, they are strictly prohibited from flying over or near military sites. The abundance of off-the-shelf models has likely contributed to the increase in sightings, but these devices also pose a novel security threat according to Peter Burt, of Drone Wars UK.
Burt explains that while most of these incidents may be caused by casual drone pilots using their devices carelessly, the fact that drones are easily accessible makes them vulnerable to being used for malicious purposes. This is a concern not just around military bases, but in various scenarios where drones can be adapted and utilized by anyone.
RAF Lakenheath, a base housing some of the US Air Force's most powerful planes in Europe, has been a particular target for drone activity. In 2024, there were 111 instances where drone alarms were activated, but nothing was found. In 58 cases, pilots were located and given words of advice, while 47 incidents involved drones flying over prohibited spaces. The number of raw intelligence reports filed by the MoD Police also increased from the previous year, raising further concerns about the growing presence of drones near military sites.
These incidents come at a time of heightened international concern about UAV activity near Western military bases. Experts believe that these incidents may be linked to Russian "grey zone" activities, such as sabotage, cyber-attacks, and espionage, as well as China's efforts to gather intelligence about the UK and its critical systems.
In November, the US Air Forces in Britain reported multiple drones flying over and near their bases, with RAF personnel being deployed to investigate. These bases are all home to American forces, with RAF Lakenheath expected to host US nuclear warheads in response to the increasing threat from Russia. While the USAF confirmed that the drones had not been identified as hostile, they were being closely monitored to ensure the safety and security of the installations.
The UK is actively seeking innovative solutions to deal with the growing threat from unmanned aerial systems. The MoD Police has released some information about these incidents to raise public awareness, but certain details are being withheld to aid ongoing investigations. The Ministry of Defence has assured that they take these threats seriously and maintain robust measures at all defence sites.
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