Unmanned Air Systems: Yeovil

The Home Office coordinates the government’s counter-drone policy. We lead work to understand potential risks posed by the misuse of drones and emerging technologies to ensure we have the right capabilities, personnel, training and powers to address these risks.

The Home Office published the UK’s Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Strategy in 2019 which outlines our approach to harness the economic and social benefits of uncrewed aircraft and by reducing the risk posed by malicious or illegal use.

One of the outcomes of this strategy was that the Home Office supported the creation of the National Police Chiefs' Council Counter-Drones Unit to provide strategic leadership to policing on counter-drones capabilities. This unit provides support to local forces to ensure they have the appropriate training and equipment to tackle the misuse of drones. The creation of the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 provided operational partners with the appropriate powers to mitigate the misuse of drones. These include stop and search powers, seizure powers, the ability to issue fixed penalty notices, and legal authorisations for the use of counter-drone equipment to detect and mitigate drones.

The Home Office is currently reviewing this strategy to ensure that we keep pace with the emerging challenges that the use of drones pose to the safety of the public.

The Home Office also works with the Department of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) who are responsible for drone regulation, encouraging the responsible use of drones, and ensuring the public have access to guidance. The CAA published the Drone Code, which provides the