British troops are to be permitted to shoot down drones over their bases amid fears of Russian invasions of UK airspace.
New powers will be drafted following Kremlin incursions into Polish, Estonian and Romanian airspace in recent weeks.
Russia was also suspected of involvement in drone incursion over Denmark in recent weeks which caused the closure of multiple airports.
The devices were apparently launched from a Russian shadow fleet vessel loitering off the Danish coast though this was not confirmed by Western officials.
Last year four USAF bases in the UK were targeted using drones. Again, Russian involvement was suspected but not proven.
In a major policy speech on Monday night, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said: ‘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.
‘Last month we saw 19 drones cross the Polish border. Days later Russian jets violated Estonia’s airspace. While at the same time Russia mounted a concerted campaign to subvert Moldova’s election.’
Initially the powers are expected to cover just drone attacks on bases. But this could be extended to include airports.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey during the Lord Mayor’s Annual Defence and Security Lecture at London’s Mansion House on Monday night
Currently the powers of military units only extend to tracking and diverting drones, by hijacking their control systems not knocking them out of the sky. This capability will allow commanders to respond more quickly.
The drone incursion into Poland convinced UK ministers to send additional fast jets to patrol NATO’s eastern flank.
Last year four USAF bases in Britain were subjected to hostile flyovers. Some 60 RAF personnel deployed to bolster security.
RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, RAF Feltwell in Norfolk and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire all reported drone incursions in November last year.
Neither US nor UK officials have said who might have been behind the drone activity.
The airbases have strategic significance for the US military. It recently deployed F-22A fighter jets to RAF Lakenheath, days after the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in June.
Recent drone sightings across the European Union prompted a leaders’ summit in Denmark earlier this month.
Several EU member states have backed plans for a multi-layered ‘drone wall’ to quickly detect, track and destroy Russian drones.
Twenty Russian drones crossed into Poland in September while Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian airspace later in the month. Russia has denied or downplayed the incursions.
Other recent drones sightings have also forced numerous European airports to close, including across two consecutive days in Munich, Germany.
Airports in Denmark and Norway also shut after unidentified drones were spotted near airport and military airspaces.
