Military to get new powers to shoot down drones menacing British bases

New powers will allow the military to shoot down drones around UK bases, Defence Secretary John Healey will announce.

Drones have been sighted at military bases including some used by US forces in the UK while countries across Europe have also experienced disruption, with speculation Russia could be behind some of the incidents.

The new powers to protect military bases will be included in the Armed Forces Bill, with Mr Healey pledging to “do what’s needed to keep the British people safe”.

The UK sent specialist counter-drone experts to Denmark in September after suspicious activity, while last year a number of unidentified drones were spotted on multiple occasions over three airbases used by US forces in the UK – RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell, in Norfolk.

Russia’s extensive use of the technology in the invasion of Ukraine has seen more than 3,000 one-way attack drones deployed so far in October, following 5,500 in September.

Mr Healey will use a speech in London to explain this is part of wider aggression by Vladimir Putin’s state across Europe: “Last month, we saw 19 drones cross the Polish border.

“Days later, Russian jets violated Estonia’s airspace, while at the same time, Russia mounted a concerted campaign to subvert Moldova’s election.”

The UK is not immune from these threats, he will say.

“Here at home, we continue to defend ourselves daily from threats reaching from the seabed to cyberspace”.

Setting out the measures the Government is taking in response to the new threats he will say: “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 into law through our Armed Forces Bill – to shoot down unidentified drones over UK military sites.”