RAF jets report ‘unidentified drones over UK’

The Royal Air Force has had close encounters with two unidentified drones in British skies this year, it has been reported.

Jets flagged two “near miss” incidents that took place days apart during simulated air combat training and an air-to-air refuelling exercise over the North Sea, according to The Telegraph.

One was reported near Norfolk and the other near Humberside, and both were spotted at altitudes above 10,000ft. These sightings were reported to the police and “multiple different external investigations” are ongoing, according to logs seen by the publication.

It is not clear whether the drones were hostile or not at this stage, The Independent understands.

Drones typically must fly below the legal height of 120 metres (400 ft) to reduce the likelihood of coming across other aircraft, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Sightings at such a high altitude are uncommon, but not unprecedented, as military and civilian pilots have reported suspected drones at similar altitudes which have been considered by the UK Airprox Board.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson did not comment on the incidents directly, but said they were remaining vigilant in how they assessed potential drone activity.

“Our enhanced vigilance and improved detection capabilities have increased our ability to identify, record and assess potential drone activity and we’re investing more than £2 billion into wider air defence and counter-drone capabilities, including the upgrade and sustainment of the Typhoon fleet,” they said.

“We remain highly vigilant to the potential threats posed to defence and stand ready to respond appropriately through our measures and capabilities that keep our Armed Forces safe.

“While reports of drone sightings are not necessarily hostile, where activity is assessed to pose a credible threat, Defence has measures available to respond appropriately and we do not comment on specific threat assessments.”

The report comes a month after The Independent exclusively reported that rogue drones were targeting Britain’s military bases almost daily.

Some 340 security incidents involving drones were reported at or near MoD sites in the year to August 2026. In 2025, there were a total of 250 incidents recorded – double the 126 recorded the year before.

Experts have warned that the alarming increase suggested the government was not prepared to combat hostile threats amid growing escalation from Russia and aggression from Iran.

Former Tory defence minister and former Army captain Tobias Ellwood told The Independent the large sharp uptick in detected drone incidents in the UK showed that the government was “asleep” to threats to the British military, which had become a “target”.

He said Russia and Iran were “100 per cent” responsible for many of those incidents. “They are absolutely active in Britain in plotting, mapping, and then recruiting useful idiots to prosecute this targeting.

“It could be criminal gangs as well, but they would then be supported by Russia. Russia is by far the obvious culprit here... It’s not China’s style. They tend to do things in a different way.”

The Armed Forces Bill is set to become law by the end of the year, which will give personnel the power to take out drones posing a threat to defence sites across the air, land or water without assistance from the police.