A Freedom of Information request revealed 18 drone sightings at sensitive military locations in just two years – between 2019 and 2021.
The Sunday People uncovered details of the drone activity under Freedom of Information laws.
Lieutenant Colonel Philip Ingram, a former intelligence officer, told them here:
“The Chinese have a very mature and sophisticated espionage programme running throughout the UK. Business, academic research, leading manufacturers, supply chains, politicians, police, the military and other civil servants and more are all targets. Many will have been compromised, often without realising what has happened.”
According to the report, one of the sites was the nuclear sub base in Faslane, Scotland – the most sensitive military establishment in the UK.
“It is home to Trident submarines and nuclear weapons are stored at the Royal Naval Armament Depot on the same base. The Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, Berks, where nuclear warheads are designed and made, is also said to have been targeted.”
What are the drone laws in the UK?
In brief, the following applies to most drone types.
- The aircraft’s maximum take-off mass must be less than 25kg;
- Keep the drone within Visual Line of Sight (VLOS);
- Do not fly higher than 400 ft (120 metres) from the earth’s surface.
- Do not fly over restricted airspace, such as military bases, prisons or near airports.
Here’s the airspace over Faslane.
So what are we doing about it?. I do appreciate it that we are not going to be told in any detail but presumably the security services are on the case.
I’m guessing we are doing SFA about it given this is old information and we have seen no arrests.
So politicians compromised by Chinese intelligence network, I wonder who that might be referring to? Still, I’m sure Keir would rather ask questions about cake.
I’ve no idea about Kier, but if you have evidence present it. What we do know for certain is Boris & the Tories have taken a lot of Russian money & were keen on getting Chinese investment & assistance building new nuclear plant that would make our electricity far more expensive. Lots of mainly Tory backers also demolished much of our manufacturing & sent it away to Communist China. No vision, statecraft or wisdom, just pure greed.
Spot on!
Would that be the same Boris and Tories currently supplying Ukraine with multi-millions worth of arms to destroy invading Russian armed forces ? Or the the Boris and Tories that have instigated a training system for the Ukrainian Defence Forces that has been in place since 2015 ? Or the same Boris and Tories that have taken a lead in condemning Russian aggression and pressed for many European countries to adopt a tougher line both with military aid and economic sanctions ? Perhaps think on the 15 Labour MPs who were puppets of the pro-Russian “Stop The War” movement at… Read more »
Bravo.
Well said! This should be shouted from the rooftops.
So let me get this clear your saying the Russia and China backed Boris over Corbyn, a man who wanted UK to disarm and leave NATO. Manufacturing was on its way to China way before Boris, I know I was made redundant from manufacturing twice under Blair with the work going to overseas factories. I’ll add UK manufacturing was it own worst enemy and its demise was more to do with consumers voting with their feet due to arrogant unions and incompetent management resulting poor products than political parties. Lets not look back at UK manufacturing with rose tinted specs,… Read more »
UK manufacturing was a victim of not being competitive not the Chinese….
Rumour and inuendo based on imaginary or wishful thinking is just as bad as the presence of foreign intelligence operations. Making statements about a specific individual in such a manner is unhelpful and distracting, it is also potentially libellous. You may be doing the enemy’s work for them!
Was it imaginary a Chinese agent was found working for the Labour Party a few months ago
Sadly, I think we’re complacent when it comes to this kind of state sponsored industrial espionage / spying. The Chinese are interested in the UKs defence / aerospace industry / nuclear defence / weapons manufacturing centres. It’s up to the government to be proactive and do something about this. Why, for example, does China need a consulate in Northern Ireland?
Who needs to worry about foreign spies at Faslane when we have the SNP, doing the dirty work for Russia & China, trying to destroy the UK.
Not a helpful, useful or indeed accurate comment. The UK is a (small) collection of states in a not dissimilar (but longer standing) fashion to the larger NATO and EU. All of which have generally the same goals.
Surely we should have an air defence system around all our main bases and perhaps this is perfect for a ground based dragon fire station.
Agree with you Pac-Man, base air space security seems to be a bit lax, too little or even non-existent. You would hope that air space above and approaches, sub-sea approaches, in/out gates of all bases should all be being not only watched but to have some anti-drone/anti-air countermeasures especially in these times. Hope they can knock out these drones and or capture them and track down their operators and have them fined and if jailed. Is their actual legislation banning this type of activity and penalties in the UK? And a related issue, yes, some Sky Sabre in around air/army… Read more »
Nuclear weapons are not held at the same base, they are held at RNAD coulport. Which is a separate base. The submarines are not carrying when they are docked at faslane.
Yep, was about to highlight that little error.
“It is home to Trident submarines and nuclear weapons are stored at the Royal Naval Armament Depot on the same base.”
🙄
Ingram sounds familiar, wasn’t he the chap with the FRU?
The most “interesting” bits are probably the SWSB, the Shiplift Building, and the EHJ and subterranean areas at Coulport, all of which are covered preventing pesky satellites and UAV from seeing inside, so I doubt much will be of real use to them.
What small UAV will be over these sites that Google Earth cannot see already?
So keep the weight at 24.95 lbs, fly no higher than 119, etc.