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UK Troops to Get Green Light to Shoot Down Unidentified Drones Over Military Bases
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Britain is preparing new legal powers to allow soldiers and Ministry of Defence police to shoot down unidentified drones that threaten UK military installations, according to The New York Times on October 20.
Defense Secretary John Healey is expected to outline the measures in a speech in London, noting that the authority will be introduced through the forthcoming Armed Forces Bill and could later extend to critical infrastructure such as airports, national outlets reported.
Healey is due to say that while forces can already deploy electronic countermeasures, the government is “developing new powers–to be put into law through our Armed Forces Bill–to shoot down unidentified drones over UK military sites.”
The initiative follows a series of recent incidents across Europe involving unauthorized drones and airspace violations. In September, 19 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace, prompting NATO responses; Russian jets later violated Estonian airspace, and Denmark reported sightings of drones over its military sites.
UK bases also recorded several small-drone incursions last year. Healey’s remarks link the policy change to increased Russian activity and the surge in drone attacks on Ukraine.
Reuters reported that while the armed forces already have limited authority to engage in extreme circumstances, the new legislation aims to eliminate peacetime legal ambiguity and permit faster action when a drone presents a credible threat to a protected site.
The first phase will focus on military facilities, with possible future expansion to major airports such as Heathrow and Gatwick.
Earlier, it was reported that Poland said 19 Russian drones crossed its airspace, prompting NATO interceptions and a request for allied consultations under Article 4.
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