UK airports should buy anti-drone technology rather than “expect the Royal Air Force to constantly step in”, the defence secretary has said.
Gavin Williamson said that all airports should be investing in detection and deterrence systems after the recent closure of Gatwick and disruption at Heathrow owing to drones being flown close to the runway.
His comments could leave some airports perplexed, after the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, earlier told the Commons there was no “perfect” off-the-shelf system available.
The military has joined police in dealing with drone sightings at Britain’s two biggest airports. Departures at Heathrow were suspended for an hour on Tuesday night, while about 140,000 passengers had their travel disrupted during the closure of Gatwick over a three-day period before Christmas.
Neither Heathrow nor Gatwick have divulged what equipment they possess to deal with drones but have pledged to invest millions to cope with the potential danger. A range of equipment to detect, track and ground drones has been reportedly installed on the roof of Gatwick’s south terminal.
Pilots unions have led moves for a clampdown, arguing a collision with a plane could be catastrophic. According to the Civil Aviation Authority, 120 near misses between drones and aircraft were reported in 2018. So far no aircraft has yet been struck in UK airspace.
Williamson, speaking to reporters during a visit to RAF Marham in Norfolk, said: “I think that everyone would be expecting all airports to be having this detection, and deterrence effect also, at all commercial airports in the future. It is a logical thing for them to be investing [in].”
He said: “It wouldn’t be right to expect the Royal Air Force to be the people that are constantly stepping in on this.”
Grayling told MPs on Thursday: “Let us be clear: there is no perfect, off-the-shelf system available to airports that will simply deal with this problem overnight.”
Airport operators met the aviation minister, Liz Sugg, and the security minister, Ben Wallace, on Thursday to discuss plans to crack down on drones. Many were understood to be reluctant to invest in largely unproved, expensive technology being touted by firms.
A No 10 spokesperson said: “The government has been encouraging airports to invest in commercial solutions to protect themselves around drones and many airports have already done so. The point that the transport secretary was making is that none of these solutions are a 100% mitigation because there are many different types of drones and counter-drone tech is still developing.
“That’s why government departments are working with industry to make sure that airports are protected from drones in the future.”
Airports do not yet possess legal powers to jam signals or seize property such as drones outside their perimeters. Despite Williamson’s call for all to invest, smaller airports believe they are unlikely to be targeted and hope that clearer codes, new legislation and wider exclusion zones will deal with much of the risk.
On Monday, Grayling said the government would give police greater powers to land and seize drones, while new drone users would have to register devices from November.
The Airport Operators Association said it was testing and experimenting with different systems.
