Military Removes Gatwick Anti-Drone Tech
3 January 2019, 14:36 | Updated: 3 January 2019, 14:43
The Army was called in to try to protect the airport after more than 1,000 flights were affected by multiple drone sightings between 19th and 21st December.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that military hardware deployed to stop drones disrupting flights at Gatwick Airport has been withdrawn
Reported drone sightings at the airport caused mass disruption to passengers in the run-up to Christmas and the Army were brought in to help bring an end to the travel chaos.
Around 1,000 flights were affected.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said "The military capability has now been withdrawn from Gatwick. The Armed Forces stand ever-ready to assist should a request for support be received."
The system, which is said to have a range of several miles, uses four radars to give 360-degree detection in order to identify and track targets.
Sussex Police Chief Constable Giles York said last week that police received 115 reports of sightings in the area, including 93 which have been confirmed as coming from "credible people" including a pilot and airport staff.
However some reports of drones in the area may have involved the police's own craft, he said, but added that he is "absolutely certain" a drone was flying near the airport's runways during the three-day period of disruption.
It comes as Chris Grayling chaired a meeting of police, aviation and defence chiefs this morning to discuss what lessons can be learned from the Gatwick drone chaos.
The Transport Secretary spoke with the Chief Constable of Sussex Police, along with representatives from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Metropolitan Police, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Home Office after repeated sightings of drones over the airport's runway caused the major disruption in the run up to Christmas.
It is understood the Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg, who was also present at today's meeting, will meet with the heads of all UK airports next week to discuss their counter-drone strategies in the wake of the Gatwick incident.
