The RAF is using drones for the first time to monitor Russian naval activity around British shores, it was revealed last night.
The news came after military experts warned that President Vladimir Putin's vessels could be used to deploy their own remote-controlled aircraft in a mass attack on the UK.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that within the past month an unarmed British Protector RG1 drone had flown over the English Channel, providing more than ten hours of 'intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage' alongside Royal Navy warships and helicopters as they tracked a Russian warship.
In the wake of criticism of the level of defence funding under Labour – and the risk that it could leave Britain exposed to Russian attack – officials said that the Royal Navy's anti-Russian monitoring activity had increased by 25 per cent during the first seven months of this year, compared with the same period in 2025.
Russian vessels have been tracked as they monitor the UK's critical underwater cables, which has prompted the MoD to invest an extra £330million over four years to strengthen seabed monitoring and surveillance and develop advanced anti-submarine capabilities.
A Russian drone incursion could be launched in a matter of minutes from a ship off the UK coast and directed to attack infrastructure across the country, a senior military commander said last night.
The source said: 'We need a greater readiness capability and that needs funding, putting more money into defence now, not tomorrow.
'We need to more aircraft in the air and ships at sea – it doesn't matter how small the ships are, they simply needed to monitor vessels.
The Royal Air Forces (RAF) newest aircraft, Protector RG Mk1, a remotely piloted aircraft system
The new aircraft has flown its first operational sorties in UK airspace, providing surveillance over the English Channel
Protector joined Royal Navy warships and helicopters routine monitoring Russian vessels around the UK
The first of 16 remotely piloted Protector aircraft arrived at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in September
'Surveillance is paramount in stopping any incursion by the Russians. We have new laser-directed rockets which can kill drones, but we need to establish a warning system that gives the RAF time to get airborne.
'Labour are asleep at the wheel and don't seem to appreciate the threat that is close to our doorstep.'
Moscow has already landed drones in Poland, Moldova, Lithuania, Norway and Denmark, as intelligence officers warn the UK could be the next target as the Kremlin continues to seek revenge for Britain's ongoing support of Ukraine.
One of the most effective weapons against drones is a Wildcat helicopter fitted with machine guns which can quickly decimate a swarm of drones.
Tim Ripley, a senior analyst at Defence Eye, said: 'The military has many useful capabilities to counter small drones but what it needs is a warning system to allow defences to be activated in the right places.
'That can only come with more air and maritime patrols to monitor vessels off our coast that may turn off their AIS [automatic identification system] tracking to avoid radar.
'Any ship could launch a drone swarm and we need a contingency plan to identify suspects, at which point we can alert aviation and ground countermeasures to respond.'
Last night Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'For the first time, Protector has joined Royal Navy warships and helicopters monitoring activity around our shores, demonstrating how we are constantly innovating to monitor and deter threats and irresponsible provocation.'
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