Mysterious drones spotted over four US airbases in the UK could be used to plan an attack, or even a disastrous plane crash, an expert has warned.
Oleg Vornik, director of counterdrone defence solutions company DroneShield, was speaking after small unmanned aerial systems were spotted in the vicinity of and over Royal Air Force Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Feltwell and RAF Fairford, with further reports today.
And he said the “alarming” situation proved drone surveillance was now a reality for the UK.
The US Air Force has determined that none of the incursions base residents, facilities or assets thus far.
Nevertheless, all appropriate measures are being taken to safeguard the installations and their residents.
Roughly 60 British troops, including counter-drone specialists, have now been deployed in response to the sightings.
Mr Vornik, told Express.co.uk: “Technology such as DroneShield’s, which combines multi-sensor detection operates via a b Command-and-Control (C2), could enable accurate detection, identification and tracking of such threats.
“Without it, the base security is reduced to incidental sightings (and most likely, no detection at all, as drones are hard for a human to pick up on, especially at night).”
He continued: “The biggest threats here are foreign power espionage, a threat of attack on the base using drones (sabotage), or a drone getting injected into the engine of the plane, potentially blowing out the engine.
It was difficult to say what equipment was being used or who was responsible without having dedicated equipment to detect and track the UAVs, Mr Vornik pointed out.
He warned: “A lot of off the shelf drones are perfectly able to conduct such missions of base surveillance.
“It is alarming for sure. Our view, in today’s world, is that every sensitive location needs a counterdrone system- similar to how it would have fire alarms or security cameras.”
Speaking yesterday a spokesperson for the USAF Europe said the number of systems had “fluctuated”, and ranged in sizes and configurations.
They continued: “The number of systems has fluctuated, and they have ranged in sizes and configurations. Our units continue to monitor the airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets.
To safeguard operational security, we do not discuss specific force protection measures, however we retain the right to protect our installations.
“We request individuals in the area to contact either local police or Security Forces if they see anything suspicious, to include sUAS’s or drone activity.”
Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, which the US Air Force describes as the foundation of its combat capability in Europe. Mildenhall hosts the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, and Feltwell is a hub for housing, schools and other services.
Fairford is home to the 501st Combat Support Wing Headquarters and the 420th Air Base Squadron.
It is unclear whether the drones had hostile intent, but the most recent incidents come at a time which saw the most significant escalation of hostilities in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.
Ukraine have struck targets inside Russia with intermediate range missiles supplied by the US and Britain in recent days after US President Joe Biden authorised use of the weapons.
Soon after, President Vladimir Putin said his country had the right to strike nations that allow their weapons to be used against Russia.