UK and US militaries expand counter-drone authorities and domestic drone production
The UK Ministry of Defence is advancing legal changes in the Armed Forces Bill to give British defence personnel explicit authority to neutralize drones and other unmanned platforms deemed threatening near military bases and operations, a power currently more constrained and typically exercised by police and select agencies. The MoD cited a sharp rise in reported unmanned aerial intrusions near sensitive UK sites (266 in 2025 vs. 126 in 2024) and indicated the practical response will often rely on electronic countermeasures (e.g., RF jamming) rather than small-arms fire; recent examples and demonstrations referenced include RF jamming incidents and UK testing of directed-energy counter-drone systems (high-energy RF and laser-based capabilities).
Separately, the U.S. Marine Corps’ 2nd Maintenance Battalion announced an NDAA-compliant modular drone, HANX, designed to avoid China-sourced parts and to be rapidly manufactured and repaired using 3D-printed components in-house. The stated intent is to shorten procurement and sustainment timelines by reducing reliance on external contractors while enabling quick reconfiguration for missions ranging from reconnaissance to “one-way attack” roles, reflecting a broader push toward more secure, domestically supportable unmanned systems within U.S. defense organizations.
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