British army personnel will be allowed to take decisive action should drone incursions threaten military installations in the United Kingdom (UK).

The move, which will be announced by Defence Secretary John Healey has been described as a: “kinetic option,” will allow troops and Ministry of Defence police to take faster, more decisive action against potential aerial threats.

Until now, UK forces could only disrupt or divert drones using counter-drone technology, with destruction permitted solely in exceptional cases. The new framework will initially apply to military installations but could later extend to civilian sites such as airports if the policy proves effective.

The decision follows a series of mysterious drone incursions last year at four Royal Air Force (RAF) bases used by the United States (US) Air Force, Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Feltwell, and Fairford. About 60 RAF personnel were deployed to assist the US investigation, though neither government has identified who was behind the activity. The sites are considered strategically significant for the US military, which stationed F-22A fighter jets at RAF Lakenheath shortly after strikes on Iranian targets in June.

Across Europe, drone sightings have become a growing security concern. In recent months, airports in Germany, Denmark, and Norway have been forced to shut temporarily after unidentified drones entered restricted airspace. European leaders have since discussed a proposed “drone wall” to detect and destroy foreign aircraft, particularly amid suspected Russian incursions into Polish and Estonian airspace.

Healey’s announcement is expected to form part of a broader tightening of UK defence policy amid rising geopolitical tensions and the growing weaponisation of civilian drone technology.