UK sees sharp rise in drone incidents around military bases

UK defence authorities have logged a significant escalation in drone activity near military facilities, with official counts rising substantially between consecutive years. The recorded total climbed to 266 incidents in 2025, compared with 126 in 2024, representing an increase of roughly 111% and prompting fresh concern inside government. Officials have not publicly established the intent behind the majority of these incursions, but some sources warn that malign state-backed operations cannot be discounted. In response, ministers are advancing legal changes that would permit service personnel to remove or destroy threatening unmanned systems in and around bases — powers that previously rested primarily with civilian police. Those proposed provisions are part of broader defence legislation that also contemplates responses to submersible unmanned vehicles, reflecting a widening threat envelope. Practically, existing base-level countermeasures rely on disruption tactics such as signal jamming and diversion rather than kinetic engagement; the new rules would broaden military authority and investment in hard- and soft-kill capabilities. The spike in incidents follows a wider European pattern of increased drone incursions at critical infrastructure and transport hubs, which policymakers have linked to hybrid tactics used in regional conflicts. Brussels is pursuing collective solutions too, including plans for a cross-border detection and interdiction network expected to become operational in the middle of the decade. Domestically, the UK tightened drone registration requirements at the start of the year by lowering the weight threshold for mandatory operator IDs, a regulatory step aimed at improving traceability. The operational and legal adjustments now under consideration carry implications for civil liberties, airspace regulation, and airport security if authorities opt to extend powers beyond military sites. For defence planners, the central challenge will be blending scalable technology investment with clear legal frameworks and accountable rules of engagement to manage escalating unmanned threats without unintended consequences.