UK jets narrowly avoid drone collisions
British Royal Air Force fighters narrowly avoided collisions with unidentified drones during training exercises over the North Sea in February 2026. The drones were undetected by radar and flew at altitudes over 5,000 meters, far exceeding civilian drone limits.
Consensus
- British Royal Air Force fighters experienced two near-collisions with unidentified drones during training exercises in February 2026.
- The incidents occurred over the North Sea, with both events happening within a week of each other.
- The drones were not detected by radar systems.
- The drones flew at altitudes exceeding 5,000 meters—over 40 times higher than the legal limit for commercial drones.
- The incidents occurred just days before the start of the U.S.-Iran conflict.
- Multiple external investigations are underway into the events.
- The events were reported in internal RAF incident logs and confirmed by The Telegraph.
Points of divergence
- One drone was observed at 5.2 kilometers altitude, and the incident occurred on October 17, 2026. — vm
- The first incident occurred on February 18, 2026, near Norfolk; the second on February 23, 2026, near Humberside. The first object was described as small, drone-sized, and passed within 30–45 meters of the refueling aircraft. The second object was described as a black circular object the size of a car tire, seen at 3,800 meters. The pilot could not confirm it was a drone, suggesting it might have been a weather balloon. — tg_echoonline_news
- The incidents occurred during air combat maneuvers and aerial refueling training. The objects were at altitudes over 5.1 kilometers. — vesti
- The incidents occurred just before the U.S.-Iran armed confrontation. The drones were described as flying at over 5,100 meters. — riamo
- The drones were spotted above U.S. military bases in Norfolk and Suffolk weeks after the incident. Russia was accused by Germany of attempting an attack on Leipzig Airport, where a drone with a homemade explosive device was found. — vm
- The Russian intelligence has been using drones to surveil military bases in Europe and the UK since August 2024, likely launched from Russia’s 'shadow fleet'. — tg_echoonline_news
- Germany accused Russia of orchestrating an attack on Leipzig Airport and took diplomatic actions including denouncing a Russian cultural agreement and closing the Russian consulate in Bonn. — vm
Coverage (4 sources)
- British jets narrowly collided with two unidentified drones — Вечерняя Москва
- British RAF fighters and tanker narrowly collided with unidentified drones over the North Sea — Telegraph — ЭХО / Новости
- Over Britain mysterious drones noticed that radars did not detect — Вести
- British Air Force fighters intercepted mysterious drones over the country at an altitude of 5 km — РИАМО