Power stations, summits and the PM’s car are all potential targets for unmanned aerial vehicles carrying explosives, says Remote Control project

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Commercially available drones have the potential to be converted into flying bombs capable of hitting targets such as nuclear power stations or the prime minister’s car, a report by a security thinktank has warned.

“Drones are a game changer in the wrong hands,” warns the lead author of the report by the Oxford Research Group’s Remote Control project.

The report, The Hostile Use of Drones by Non-State Actors Against British Targets, highlights concerns that “drones will be used as simple, affordable and effective airborne improvised explosive devices”.

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It lists a range of potential targets including foreign embassies, nuclear power stations, a G7 summit or the prime minister’s car. “The UK government, police, military and security services will need to introduce countermeasures to reduce or mitigate the risk of commercially available drones being used for attack,” it reads.



Recommended countermeasures include licensing drones, laser systems to protect targets, radio-frequency jammers, and clear guidance for the police and the army to shoot down hostile drones.

The study analysed more than 200 drones available to buy on the high street or on the internet and warns many are capable of being converted to deliver an explosive payload.

It also warns that the dangerous capabilities of drones are increasing and yet they are already being used by terrorists and activists. “The technology of remote-control warfare is impossible to control,” the report says.

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It notes: “Islamic State [Isis] is reportedly obsessed with launching a synchronised multi-drone attack on large numbers of people in order to recreate the horrors of 9/11.” The report points out that Isis is already using drones for reconnaissance in Iraq and Syria.

It also cites a number of recent examples of unauthorised use of drones that “suggest scenarios for future lone wolf attacks”. These include:

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Chris Abbott, the lead author of the report and visiting research fellow at Bradford University’s School of Social and International Studies, said: “The use of drones for surveillance and attack is no longer the purview of state militaries alone. A range of terrorist, insurgent, criminal, corporate and activist groups have already shown their desire and ability to use drones against British targets.”

He added: “Drones are a game changer in the wrong hands. The government needs to take this threat seriously and commit to a range of countermeasures that still allow for legitimate commercial and personal use.”

• The headline on this article was amended on 11 January 2016 . An earlier version attributed the report to the Oxford Research Group. The Oxford Research Group hosts the Remote Control project, but does not publish its reports.