UK to seek powers to shoot down unidentified drones at military bases

Defence Secretary John Healey said on Monday the government will seek new legal powers to allow British forces to shoot down unidentified drones that approach military bases, saying the measure is needed to protect facilities and personnel amid a rise in unexplained drone activity across Europe. The change will be introduced as part of the Armed Forces Bill and will initially apply only to military sites, Healey said in a London speech at the Lord Mayor's defence and security lecture.

Healey said the measures will give troops and Ministry of Defence Police a kinetic option in extreme circumstances, supplementing existing nonkinetic countermeasures such as electronic jamming and systems that can track and divert unmanned aircraft. "We will always do what's needed to keep the British people safe," he said, and added, "we are developing new legal powers to bring down unidentified drones over UK military sites."

The announcement follows a series of sightings last year at Royal Air Force bases, including Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Feltwell and Fairford, where unidentified drones were detected on multiple occasions. Those sites host United States personnel and combat aircraft, and...