British troops given powers to shoot down drones near bases to counter Russia threat
Defence secretary sets new powers to bring down drones
- Defence Secretary John Healey announced new legal powers for British troops to bring down unidentified drones threatening UK military sites.
- These powers, to be included in the Armed Forces Bill, will grant soldiers and Ministry of Defence Police a “kinetic option” to shoot down drones, initially at military bases.
- Healey warned that Europe's security is at its highest risk of state-on-state conflict since the Second World War, necessitating enhanced defence capabilities.
- He reaffirmed the UK's commitment to strengthening NATO, pledging to develop greater readiness to “fight together” and “deter together” in response to evolving threats.
- The announcement follows increasing drone disruptions across Europe and Russia's extensive use of drones in the Ukraine conflict, highlighting a new era of threat.