The Ministry of Defence has released new details on Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) tasks carried out by 2 Counter-Uncrewed Air Systems (C-UAS) Wing since 2022.
Responding to a written question from Ben Obese-Jecty MP on 16 September, Defence Minister Al Carns confirmed that the Wing has been deployed on 13 MACA requests between 2022 and September 2025.
While some details were withheld for security reasons, the MoD listed several deployments in support of UK police forces.
According to the answer, 2 C-UAS Wing supported:
- 24 July – 10 August 2022: Birmingham – West Midlands Police
- 9 – 14 September 2022: Edinburgh – Police Scotland
- 13 – 20 September 2022: London – Thames Valley Police
- 3 – 8 May 2023: RAF Northolt – Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police
- 8 – 14 May 2023: Liverpool – Merseyside Police
- 15 – 17 June 2023: London – Metropolitan Police
- 20 – 23 June 2023: London – Metropolitan Police
- 3 – 6 June 2024: Portsmouth – Hampshire Police
- 15 – 29 July 2024: Blenheim Palace – Thames Valley Police
Carns said that while the Ministry had disclosed these examples, further information on other deployments could not be released, as it would be likely to prejudice “the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.”
The release of partial data highlights the scale of military involvement in counter-drone support for major national and local events, though many of the specific contexts remain classified.
