RAF jets had near-misses with mystery drones flying at 17,000ft over North Sea, with investigations now under way

Two Royal Air Force jets had near-miss encounters with unidentified drones on separate occasions during North Sea military exercises in February. The objects went undetected by radar despite flying at altitudes more than 40 times the legal limit for commercial drones. The RAF referred both incidents to police, and several external investigations are now under way. The incidents occurred days before US forces struck Iran, against a backdrop of growing concern that adversarial states may be deploying high-altitude drones to monitor Western military operations.

In the first incident, on February 18, the pilot of an RAF Airbus Voyager tanker instinctively ducked after a drone-sized object passed directly overhead at 17,000ft off Cromer, Norfolk.

The second sighting, on February 23, occurred when a Typhoon pilot noticed a 'black circular object, similar in size to a car tyre' passing directly above him during dogfight training 30 miles off Humberside.

Defence experts have previously connected drone activity recorded above US air bases in Norfolk and Suffolk to a Russian vessel operating off the coast.