Drone Incidents Near UK Military Bases Double as Britain Expands Shoot-Down Powers

Drone incursions near British military facilities doubled last year, prompting the UK government to grant armed forces expanded authority to counter aerial threats, Defense Secretary John Healey said, according to Reuters on February 2.

British defense officials recorded 266 drone-related incidents near military sites in 2025—up from 126 the year before—a sharp increase that officials say reflects a broader rise in drone activity across European airspace.

“The doubling of rogue drones near military sites in the UK in the last year underlines the increasing and changing nature of the threats we face,” Healey said.

The surge has pushed London to revise long-standing rules governing how military personnel can respond to unmanned systems operating near sensitive facilities. Under the new framework, British forces will be authorized to neutralize hostile drones directly, a task that previously required coordination with civilian police.

The expanded powers extend beyond the air. Healey said the military will also be allowed to destroy ground-based drones and unmanned underwater vehicles detected near defense installations.

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The move follows a series of high-profile drone incidents across Europe. In late 2025, airports in Belgium and Denmark were temporarily shut down after drone intrusions, incidents that analysts said bore signs of possible Russian interference—an allegation Moscow has denied.

Healey emphasized that security measures around UK military sites have already been strengthened, adding that the new authorities are intended to close response gaps as unmanned threats evolve.

Earlier, British military forces ordered a Russian cargo vessel to leave UK territorial waters after it anchored dangerously close to transatlantic undersea communications cables in the Bristol Channel.

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