An unidentified drone was seen tracking the HMS Queen Elizabeth as it travelled into the harbour of Hamburg on Friday, according to German newspaper Bild.
The paper reported that Bundeswehr guards positioned around the port were prepared to target the 1.5 by 1.5 metre aircraft with HP-47 jammers as it neared Hamburg, “flying over a container terminal”. Before they were able to, however, the unmanned craft had flown away.
The most powerful vessel in the Royal Navy has been in Hamburg since Monday after not previously visiting the port for 13 years in what has been interpreted by some as a symbol of the UK’s close ties with Germany.
The mysterious drone sighting comes after “small unmanned aerial systems” were also seen hovering above three air bases in England this week.
The US Air Force (USAF) confirmed that drones of “fluctuating” sizes had been seen over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk between November 20 and 22.
A spokesperson for US Air Forces in Europe said: “The unmanned aerial systems were actively monitored and installation leaders determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents or critical infrastructure.
“To protect operational security, we do not discuss our specific force protection measures but retain the right to protect the installation. We continue to monitor our airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets.”
A spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defence said: “We take threats seriously and maintain robust measures at defence sites. This includes counter drone security capabilities. We won’t comment further on security procedures.”
The sightings coincide with a significant escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine after Kyiv used US and British-supplied long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia for the first time.
An overnight Russian drone attack saw 23 of 73 aircrafts breach Ukraine’s defences and the Kremlin also used a new mid-range hypersonic ballistic missile on a strike on a military facility in Dnipro on Thursday, believed to ne the strongest missile used in the conflict so far.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticised “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia.
He added: “The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have been quite clearly outlined.”
