UFO-like ‘drones’ targeted police helicopter over air base before vanishing: report

Newly released constabulary logs and video footage contradict authoritative explanations of a near-collision betwixt a U.K. constabulary chopper and unidentified aerial objects implicit a U.S. aerial basal past year, an brushwood authorities had antecedently dismissed arsenic a regular combatant pitchy sighting.

According to documents the Daily Mail obtained done Britain’s Freedom of Information Act, the Nov. 22, 2024, formation forced a National Police Air Service (NPAS) EC135 chopper to instrumentality exigency evasive enactment aft reporting that 2 fast-moving trade "targeted" and pursued the craft implicit RAF Lakenheath, a large U.S. subject installation successful Suffolk.

The pilots described a steep dive to debar interaction arsenic the objects matched their speed, astir 165 knots (190 mph), for respective minutes earlier disappearing from view.

Nick Pope, who formerly investigated UFOs for the U.K. Ministry of Defence, told Fox News Digital the occurrence shows however unidentified aerial phenomena, oregon UAP, person evolved from a fringe curiosity into a morganatic defence and aviation issue.

SOURCE OF 'UFO' PANIC, DRONE MYSTERY CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR FRENZY: REPORT

The U.S. authorities is compelled to analyse reports of UFOs to place immoderate issues regarding threats to nationalist security. (iStock)

"This disturbing incidental perfectly illustrates wherefore the UAP contented has gone from fringe to mainstream," Pope said. "Whatever people’s beliefs, this is simply a superior safety-of-flight substance that demands urgent attraction and action."

Pope stressed that simply labeling specified encounters "drones" tin obscure what mightiness beryllium overmuch much complex.

"‘Drone’ has go a convenient shorthand for thing unexplained that radical spot successful the skies," helium said. "So we truly don’t cognize what we’re dealing with here."

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: MILITARY WHISTLEBLOWERS TESTIFY TO CONGRESS ABOUT UNEXPLAINED UFO ENCOUNTERS

A UFO is seen successful the sky. (Courtesy of Netflix)

He added that the deficiency of information sharing betwixt agencies and the inclination to downplay sightings could marque the information worse.

"I anticipation it doesn’t instrumentality a calamity earlier thing much is done," Pope said. "There’s chronic underreporting of these sorts of incidents, truthful the existent grade of the occupation is apt acold much serious."

Logs cited by the Daily Mail accidental the NPAS unit called the brushwood an "unprovoked pursuit" soon aft 10 p.m. portion patrolling adjacent the base.

HOUSE WITNESS TESTIFIES UFOS NEARLY ACTIVATED RUSSIAN NUCLEAR MISSILES DURING 1982 INCIDENT

"They had to execute an exigency dive and described that they were pursued successful the dive by 2 drones who matched their velocity … and past pursued them for respective minutes retired of the area," 1 constabulary introduction states. 

Another notes the pilots "felt that drones had targeted them and chased them disconnected astatine astir 140 knots [161 mph]."

Additional constabulary reports betwixt Nov. 20 and 22 recorded astir 20 drone sightings crossed RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell. Logs described "10–15 drones … perchance into basal airspace" and said craft were temporarily grounded aft crossing formation paths.

PENTAGON EXPLORING COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT INCURSIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITIES

A witnesser utilizing night-vision goggles reported "five to six drones" adjacent the A1065 highway, portion different described "large stationary things — tic-tacs — they are not birds."

A U.K. subject root who viewed the helicopter’s afloat 30-minute infrared video told the Daily Mail the footage shows "drones mirroring the helicopter’s movements" and performing a "corkscrew" maneuver intolerable for an F-15.

"In the 30-minute video with aviator audio, cipher mentions F-15s," the root said. "They lone speech astir the drones … fundamentally forcing them retired of the area."

NATO COUNTRY REPORTS DRONES OVER LARGEST MILITARY BASE AFTER AIRPORT ATTACK, MULLS RESPONSE

Enigma has received much than 9,000 witnesser sightings of mysterious objects wrong 10 miles of United States’ shorelines since August 2025, according to the company’s website. (iStock)

Despite the aggregate sightings, Britain’s Airprox Board, which investigates near-misses, concluded successful its last study that the unit had mistaken the lights of a U.S. Air Force F-15 operating nearby. Radar information showed the chopper and pitchy came wrong 1,700 feet, and the committee reported nary different returns.

Retired elder constabulary detective Mike Morgan told the Daily Mail helium was frustrated by authoritative silence. 

"There is simply a full bid of question marks astir what went connected successful November 2024," helium said. "I person tally into repeated efforts by the authorities to debar answering adjacent the astir basal questions … What is truthful concealed astir this investigation?"

Defense-sector meteorologist Stuart Onyeche said helium believes some the F-15 and the constabulary chopper were reacting to unmanned systems successful the area. 

"I’m inclined to spot the archetypal item and appraisal of the experienced chopper pilots," Onyeche told the Daily Mail. "It’s unarguable that an F-15 was besides successful the vicinity … but the unanswered question is what that combatant was being tasked to bash oregon look for."

The Daily Mail notes the Lakenheath lawsuit unfolded amid weeks of akin reports of drone incursions adjacent U.S. subject bases successful New Jersey, the wider Northeast, and overseas.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The outlet besides cites a associated FBI/DoD/NASA study informing that detection and jamming systems person "failed" to halt precocious drones, including a large swarm implicit Langley Air Force Base successful Virginia successful December 2023 that was kept quiescent until revealed by The War Zone successful March 2024.

Pope said that recurring incidents similar the Lakenheath encounter, combined with constricted transparency from officials, constituent to a increasing spread successful however governments grip unidentified aerial enactment and that without amended reporting and coordination, the hazard to aerial information volition lone proceed to increase.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].