RAF jets reported ‘close encounters with two unidentified drones in British skies’ this year
RAF jets reported two near encounters with unidentified objects over the North Sea in February, during refuelling and simulated air combat. Neither object appeared on radar, and the incidents have prompted external investigations; authorities have not linked them to hostile powers.
On 18 February, a Voyager tanker pilot near Cromer reported an object at 17,000 feet that passed close enough to make him duck. On 23 February, a Typhoon pilot about 30 miles off Humberside said a black circular object, roughly the size of a car tyre, passed about 300 feet above his aircraft. RAF reviews found the pilots acted appropriately, while the second incident’s investigation identified no causal factors.
- Two RAF aircraft reported close encounters with unidentified objects in February.
- The sightings occurred at high altitudes and neither object appeared on radar.
- Investigations continue, with no link to hostile powers established.
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The RAF is the UK’s air force, and its Typhoon jets are used for air defence and training. Voyager aircraft are military tankers that refuel jets in the air, allowing them to stay airborne for longer.
The North Sea lies between Britain and mainland Europe, and military aircraft regularly operate there. An unidentified object is one whose source or nature has not been established; the term alone does not show whether it was a drone or who may have been operating it.
Reports of objects near aircraft matter because a collision could endanger crews and disrupt flights. Investigations can help establish what the pilots saw and whether there is a safety or security risk, but the reported incidents have not been linked to a hostile power.