Two unidentified objects came close enough to Royal Air Force aircraft during training flights over the North Sea in February 2026 to be logged as near-miss incidents, according to incident reports reviewed by British media. Pilots described one object as a possible drone passing roughly 100 to 150 feet overhead, and a second as a dark, circular object passing about 200 to 300 feet above a Typhoon fighter.
What happened, and when
The first incident occurred on 18 February 2026 off Cromer, Norfolk, during an air-to-air refuelling exercise. An RAF Airbus Voyager tanker was refuelling a Typhoon fighter jet at roughly 17,000 feet when an unidentified object passed close overhead. The tanker pilot radioed air traffic control to report a possible drone, describing it as small and travelling from east to west. The pilot reportedly ducked instinctively and later said positive identification was impossible, raising the possibility the object could have been a balloon or similar item.
The second incident took place on 23 February 2026 roughly 30 miles off Humberside, during a simulated dogfight. A Typhoon pilot reported a dark, circular object passing some 200 to 300 feet above the jet at about 12,500 feet. The radar controller relayed the report, which was ultimately passed to North Yorkshire Police.
Why the altitude matters
Civilian drones in the UK are legally restricted to a maximum height of 400 feet. Both objects were reported at altitudes many times above that limit — one estimate places the Cromer object at around 17,000 feet, more than 40 times the legal ceiling for commercial drones. Neither object was detected on primary radar, according to the reports.
What the RAF and MoD say
The RAF's internal assessment reportedly concluded that both pilots acted appropriately given the circumstances. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson did not comment on the two specific incidents but said the department's enhanced vigilance and improved detection capabilities had increased its ability to identify, record and assess potential drone activity, adding that the government is investing more than £2 billion in wider air defence and counter-drone capabilities, including upgrades to the Typhoon fleet.
On the broader question of hostility, the MoD has said separately: "While reports of drone sightings are not necessarily hostile, where activity is assessed to pose a credible threat, Defence has measures available to respond appropriately and we do not comment on specific threat assessments." Officials describe multiple different external investigations into the two North Sea incidents as ongoing; the source of the objects has not been identified.
A wider pattern of sightings at UK bases
The North Sea near-misses sit within a broader rise in reported drone activity around British military sites. Ministry of Defence figures show 340 drone-related incidents were recorded at UK defence sites in the year to August 2026, up from 250 in 2025 and 126 in 2024 — roughly one incident a day on average. The MoD has attributed part of the rise to better detection equipment and reporting procedures rather than necessarily to more hostile activity, though it has not ruled out hostile involvement either.
In response, the government introduced restricted airspace over 44 critical defence sites from February 2026, with a further 160 sites due similar protections in autumn 2026. The Defence Investment Plan sets aside £750 million for counter-drone systems, which ministers describe as quadrupling previously inherited spending in this area. Conservative former defence minister Tobias Ellwood has criticised the government's response to the wider drone activity, arguing that not enough is being done to protect the country's critical national infrastructure, while defence minister Lord Coaker has cited 187 sightings near military sites recorded since the start of the year.
Background: earlier drone episodes at RAF bases
RAF stations used by US forces, including Lakenheath and Fairford, have previously reported drone sightings that drew scrutiny at the time. Some defence analysts have linked earlier waves of drone activity near UK and allied airbases to vessels associated with Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers, though no such link has been confirmed for the February 2026 North Sea incidents specifically.
The two North Sea near-miss incidents| Detail | 18 February incident | 23 February incident |
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| Location | Off Cromer, Norfolk | ~30 miles off Humberside |
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| RAF aircraft | Voyager tanker refuelling a Typhoon | Typhoon in mock dogfight |
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| Reported altitude | ~17,000 ft | ~12,500 ft |
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| Object description | Small object, east-to-west | Dark circular object |
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| Distance from aircraft | ~100–150 ft overhead | ~200–300 ft overhead |
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| Radar detection | Not detected | Not detected |
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