Mystery drone ‘came within 250m’ of Navy’s £3bn ship as cops open criminal probe after fear Russia is targeting UK bases
A MYSTERY drone came within "within 250 metres" of the Royal Navy's £3billion aircraft carrier, it has been revealed.
Cops have launched a criminal probe after the sighting near HMS Queen Elizabeth - days after drones flew over three RAF bases.
A minister confirmed a criminal investigation is underway into the flying of unmanned aerial vehicles over US military bases in England.
It comes amid fears Russia could be targeting UK bases operated by the US.
Lord Coaker warned those responsible for the recent illegal drones flying over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk that they could be jailed for up to 14 years under national security laws.
The Labour frontbencher confirmed the Ministry of Defence Police is leading the probe.
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The MoD is collaborating with the United States Air Force (USAF) and the civilian authorities.
A USAF spokesperson said the drones had not been identified as hostile.
But they were seen amid heightened tensions with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, during which there has been heavy drone warfare.
The mystery drone also sparked fears within Parliament over the security of Britain’s critical infrastructure, including power stations.
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The issue was raised at Westminster by Labour peer Viscount Stansgate, who also highlighted an unidentified drone had been detected shadowing HMS Queen Elizabeth as it entered the port of Hamburg last Friday.
Lord Stansgate said: “It may be that these flights are not a coincidence.
“Does the minister agree that these matters are of potentially serious concern given that drones are now ubiquitous and we know what their role is in warfare?
"The House will remember that Gatwick Airport was completely closed a few years ago by unidentified drones.”
Referring to the aircraft carrier, Lord Coaker said: “A civilian drone was observed in the vicinity on November 22, it got no closer than 250 metres from HMS Queen Elizabeth.”
He added: “Can I reassure him that we take all of this seriously and we work closely to ensure the safety of all of our sites.”
On the illegal fly-bys over American airbases, the minister told peers: “The Ministry of Defence is aware of these reports and working closely with the US visiting forces, Home Office police forces and other partners to respond to recent events.
“We will work with civil authorities to prosecute those responsible.
“We take any safety issue seriously and maintain robust measures at Ministry of Defence sites. This includes counter-drone capabilities.
“This remains a live criminal investigation.”
Former military chief Lord Stirrup, who led the armed forces between 2006 and 2010, added: “This is not just a question of defence sites but of much wider national resilience.
"We have seen the extensive use of drones in Ukraine against non-military targets.
“Can the minister reassure the House that the Government will look at this problem in that much wider context, because quite clearly we can’t mount air defence systems around every single part of our critical national infrastructure.
“We have to ensure we have some other method of protecting them against this new threat.”
In reply, Lord Coaker said there were other ways of protecting sites.
The minister told Parliament: “It is illegal for drones to be flown or within the vicinity of these military sites and people should be aware of that.”
He added: “All agencies of the state and all parts of the state will work to ensure that we identify and do what we can with those who are conducting these acts.”
It comes just days after a fleet of "unmanned aerial devices" were identified flying near RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell, in Norfolk, a US Air Force spokesperson confirmed. .
The Sun understands the RAF deployed their ORCUS counter drone weapons which can jam the signal to hostile drones and let friendly forces take over controls
The RAF says the ORCUS system – which can fit in the back of a Chinook heliopter – can "detect, track, identify and, if necessary, defeat hostile drones".
All airbases are continuing to be monitored after the drones were seen yesterday.
The first lot of incidents occurred between November 20 and 22.
The US Air Force, which has fighter jets on standby at the locations, said at the time it was unclear whether the drones were considered hostile.
A spokesperson for US Air Forces, in Europe, last week said: "We can confirm that small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) were spotted in the vicinity of and over RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell between November 20 and 22.
"The number of UASs fluctuated and they ranged in size [and] configuration.
"The UASs were actively monitored and installation leaders determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents or critical infrastructure"
The spokesperson added: "To protect operational security, we do not discuss our specific force protection measures but retain the right to protect the installation."
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Just days earlier, a different mystery drone flew over HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier, on a visit to Hamburg.
The drone sightings on Wednesday came hours after Ukraine fired US ATAMCS missiles at an ammunition dump in Russia's Bryansk.
