RAF aircraft had two close encounters with suspected drones over the North Sea — Anadolu Agency

In the United Kingdom, Royal Air Force aircraft had two dangerous close encounters in February with unidentified objects that may have been drones during military exercises over the North Sea. Anadolu Agency reports this, citing The Telegraph newspaper.

Incident near Norfolk

The first incident occurred during air-to-air refuelling: an RAF Airbus Voyager tanker was refuelling a Typhoon fighter near Cromer in Norfolk. An unknown object flew so close that the tanker pilot instinctively ducked. The commander reported the incident to military air traffic controllers.

Both objects were spotted at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet. Investigations into these incidents are ongoing. It is currently unclear whether the objects were hostile.

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Black round object

On February 23, a Typhoon pilot practising simulated air combat with another fighter near Humberside saw a black round object. According to the pilot's assessment, it flew about 300 feet above the aircraft. The pilot reported the observation to the radar controller overseeing the exercise, who later passed the information to North Yorkshire Police.

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said that heightened vigilance and improved detection capabilities help identify, record and assess potential drone activity. The department reported investments of more than £2 billion in air defence and counter-drone capabilities, including in the modernisation and maintenance of the Typhoon fleet. The ministry added that drone reports do not necessarily indicate hostile activity, but that it has the means to respond to a credible threat.