UK to adapt Ukraine anti-drone tactics for prisons
A pizza‑box sized quadcopter, a small parcel, a barred window: that’s the picture many of us have in mind when we talk about smuggling into jails. In the 12 months to March 2025, prisons in England and Wales recorded 1,712 drone incidents. This week the Government said it will draw on Ukraine’s real‑world counter‑drone experience to stop those flights. (gov.uk)
Announced in Kyiv on 16 January 2026, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said he has asked the prison service to learn from Ukraine’s anti‑drone methods and adapt them for secure use on UK sites. The visit marked the first anniversary of the UK–Ukraine 100 Year Partnership, which aims to deepen cooperation across defence and civilian projects. (gov.uk)
To turn intent into equipment we can actually use, UK Research and Innovation will provide an extra £6.5 million for anti‑drone research and development. Working with the Ministry of Justice and UK Defence Innovation, new competitions will invite British and Ukrainian firms to propose tools that let officers detect, track and safely bring down illegal drones. (gov.uk)
Why this matters: drones are a favoured route for organised crime groups to move drugs, weapons and phones into jails, fuelling debt and violence. Ministry of Justice data published on 31 July 2025 shows 1,712 incidents between April 2024 and March 2025-up 43% on the previous year. Officials also report a 770% rise in incidents between 2019 and 2023. (gov.uk)
What a counter‑drone system actually does, in plain terms. Sensors scan for radio signals and movement; software identifies the aircraft; an approved ‘defeat’ option forces a safe landing or capture so people on the ground aren’t put at risk. The Government says any technology funded here must be simple for prison officers to use and legally compliant, not just a flashy demo. (gov.uk)
Why look to Ukraine. Years of facing Russian drones have made Ukrainian teams quick at designing practical defences. The UK backed that push, pledging a record £350 million in 2025 to scale drone supply from a 2024 target of 10,000 to 100,000 by December 2025-experience ministers now want to translate to prison security. (gov.uk)
A quick explainer: the 100 Year Partnership was signed in Kyiv in January 2025 and is now marking its first year. It’s a long‑term agreement for joint work across defence, energy, business, research and education. This week’s summit underlined how cooperation abroad can feed into safety improvements at home. (gov.uk)
What changes you might notice first. Alongside new research, ministers point to £40 million for prison security this year, including £10 million on anti‑drone measures such as exterior netting and reinforced windows. Expect more joint police‑prison operations while new detection tools are trialled. (gov.uk)
What to watch as this develops. Success should show up as fewer drone sightings, lower drug finds and a drop in violence linked to debt and phones. Researchers and governors will also need clear rules on where and when counter‑drone tools are used so measures stay tightly focused on prison airspace and everyday staff workloads.
If you’re teaching this, try a quick scenario. Map a typical flight from a nearby park to a window ledge and label points where staff could intervene-take‑off, approach, hover, drop, exit. Then debate which actions are realistic on a night shift, and what training and maintenance teams would need to sustain them.