The government has unveiled proposals that will allow troops to take faster and more decisive action to knock out unmanned aerial vehicles over such sites, and in time this could be extended to certain critical civilian locations such as airports.
Currently, armed forces personnel have licence to divert, disrupt or hijack drones through electronic jamming and other non-kinetic countermeasures such as nets.
The intruders can only be shot down in so-called “extreme circumstances” such as where there is an obvious threat to life and in some other defined situations under current law.
But that looks set to change after a major policy speech by UK Defence Secretary John Healey, who declared: “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.”
The measures will be part of a broader security response to the rise in UAV activity and what are growing Russian military provocations across Europe.
Recently, an estimated 19 drones crossed the Russian border with Poland while others have forced airports in Germany, Denmark and Norway to close in recent weeks. They were suspected of having been launched from a Russian ship but were not officially identified as none were brought down.
Late last year small drones were also seen over four RAF bases used by the US Air Force, including Lakenheath in Suffolk and Fairford in Gloucestershire, where B-2 stealth bombers are based. Their origin remains unknown.
Firing on drones presents a risk to civilians and infrastructure – a missile from a Polish F-16 during the Russian drone incursion hit the roof of a house in the eastern Lublin region, though nobody was injured – so it’s likely the rules of engagement for the UK’s armed forces will be tightly defined.
The army’s latest cutting-edge counter-drone tech already gives it a potential advantage when dealing with unwelcome guests overhead.
The SmartShooter Smash smart weapon sight fire control system (above) gives dismounted soldiers a high probability of hitting micro and mini UAVs.
It achieves this by using integrated AI technology to recognise a target, track its movements and maintain a lock, even if the object or user moves.
The device can be fitted to the SA80 A3 assault rifle as well as other in-service individual weapons.
An initial order of more than 200 sights have been delivered to various units under an MoD contract with Yorkshire-based Viking Arms, and more are due to arrive with the UK’s armed forces in the coming years, based on deployments and readiness levels.
