Counter-drone in the United Kingdom
The UK counter-drone strategy prioritises terrorism, crime in prisons and disruption to critical national infrastructure. Prisons are where the measured problem is largest.
Key facts
- HMPPS recorded 1,712 confirmed drone incidents at prisons in England and Wales between April 2024 and March 2025, an increase of 43 per cent on the 1,196 recorded in the previous twelve months.
- These figures are published in the HMPPS Annual Digest as official statistics and cover sightings, recoveries and attempted drops.
- The UK counter-unmanned aircraft strategy prioritises terrorism, criminal use in prisons and disruption to critical national infrastructure.
- In February 2026 the Ministry of Justice launched a competition worth £1.85 million for technologies able to counter drones around prisons and other sensitive sites.
- The Ministry of Justice has been working with UK Defence Innovation and UK Research and Innovation on competitions of this kind, so procurement in this area runs partly through innovation funding rather than conventional tendering.
- Counter-drone operations at HMP Manchester and HMP Wandsworth have resulted in arrests, and one recovered aircraft was reported as having a value of around £6,000 with a 40-minute flight time.
Where the measured problem is
The UK has better public data on one part of this problem than almost any other country, because HMPPS publishes confirmed drone incidents at prisons as official statistics.
Between April 2024 and March 2025 there were 1,712 confirmed incidents at prisons in England and Wales, covering sightings, recoveries and attempted drops. That was an increase of 43 per cent on the 1,196 recorded in the preceding twelve months.
Numbers of that quality are unusual in this field. Most sectors, in most countries, work from anecdote and partial reporting. The prison estate in England and Wales has a counted series, which makes the trend visible and the case for action considerably easier to make.
The strategy
The UK counter-unmanned aircraft strategy prioritises three areas: terrorism, criminal use in prisons, and disruption to critical national infrastructure.
That ordering is worth noting because it differs from the emphasis in US material, which has been shaped by mass-attendance events and by the extension of authority to state and local agencies. The UK emphasis on prisons reflects where the counted problem sits.
How procurement is happening
A notable feature of the UK approach is that a good deal of activity runs through innovation competitions rather than conventional tendering.
In February 2026 the Ministry of Justice launched a competition worth £1.85 million for technologies able to counter drones around prisons and other sensitive sites. The Ministry has been working with UK Defence Innovation and UK Research and Innovation on competitions of this kind.
For suppliers and advisers this changes the route in. Competitions publish their own eligibility terms and assessment criteria, and the February 2026 competition was described as open to international businesses. The terms of any individual competition should be read directly rather than assumed from a description.
Operational activity
Counter-drone operations at HMP Manchester and HMP Wandsworth have led to arrests. One aircraft recovered during that activity was reported as having a value of around £6,000, a flight time of about 40 minutes and the capacity to carry several loads.
That is a useful corrective to the assumption that prison drone activity involves hobbyist equipment. The aircraft described is a considered purchase by someone operating commercially.
Applying US analysis to the UK
Much of the technical material on this site applies in the UK without modification. Radar, radio-frequency sensing, acoustic detection and cameras behave the same way, and the practical questions about coverage, siting and alert routing do not change with jurisdiction.
The legal position does change. The distinction between detection and measures that interfere with an aircraft exists in both countries, and the instruments creating it are different, as are the bodies that hold authority. Anyone acting on the UK position should take advice on it specifically rather than reading across from the US framework.
Related work
- SLTT compliance & certification Getting through the SAFER SKIES certification framework in force since 1 July 2026.
- Site assessment & design Vulnerability assessment, RF survey, sensor siting and coverage modelling.
- Procurement advisory Specification and evaluation against the Authorized Systems List.
FAQ
▸How does the UK position differ from the United States?
The broad distinction between detection and measures that interfere with an aircraft applies in both, but the legal instruments differ and so does the institutional structure. The United States has a single framework granting mitigation authority to certified state and local agencies, while the UK approach runs through its counter-unmanned aircraft strategy and the bodies responsible for prisons, policing and critical national infrastructure. Organisations should take advice on the UK position specifically rather than applying US analysis to it.
▸Why do prisons dominate the UK picture?
Because that is where the measured problem is largest and where the data is published. HMPPS records confirmed incidents as official statistics, which gives the prison estate a quantified picture that few other sectors have anywhere. The 43 per cent annual increase to March 2025 indicates the trend rather than a single bad year.
▸Is UK procurement in this area open to overseas suppliers?
The Ministry of Justice competition launched in February 2026 was described as challenging international businesses, so participation is not limited to UK firms. Individual competitions set their own eligibility terms, which should be read directly.
▸Do you work on UK matters?
Our published research is most developed on the United States, where the regulatory framework and federal funding are documented in most detail. The analytical approach applies to the UK, and we cover UK work on request. Where a question turns on UK law specifically, we would expect to work alongside UK legal advice.