New measures to defeat drones are being introduced in the Armed Forces Bill, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said today (February 2). The legislation will give authorised personnel the power to take out drones deemed to be posing a threat to any MoD site without the need for assistance from police.
The announcement comes as newly confirmed figures reveal that in 2025, there were 266 reported uncrewed aerial system incidents near MoD sites, a rise from the 126 incidents reported in 2024.
Current legislation that enables interference with drones for the purpose of preventing crime can only be used by the police and certain other agencies. The new measures allow defence personnel to protect their own sites and operations.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said that the government is also “stepping up investment in counter-drone technology to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad”. The government has quadrupled its spending on counter-UAS since taking office, allocating over GBP 200 million this year alone.
“Recent months have seen the introduction of restricted airspace at 40 defence sites, the deployment of new drones to guard military bases, investment in advanced CCTV and integrated threat monitoring systems to strengthen base security, and GBP 20 million in digital transformation to modernise security systems,” the MoD said in a press release. “Advanced technology like automated track-and-detect systems are now operational at multiple key sites, delivering 24/7 surveillance and enabling rapid response to threats.”
The Armed Forces Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 15 January 2026 and had its second reading on 26 January. The bill will also allow personnel to destroy land drones or those that can be operated on or under water, in addition to aerial drones.
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Image: US Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcons at RAF Mildenhall in the UK. (US Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)
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