UK Seeks Ways to Counter Fiber-Optic Drones

The United Kingdom has launched a program to find technologies to counter fiber-optic drones.

The initiative was announced by UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), which is inviting industry partners to take part on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence, according to Defence Blog.

Companies are invited to submit proposals by April 21, 2026, as part of a market study into advanced weapons systems.

The main challenge is that these drones are resistant to signal jamming and GPS spoofing, as there is no radio communication between the operator and the UAV.

The British military is seeking solutions for the entire countermeasure cycle – from detecting the drone’s presence to physically neutralizing it.

At this stage, the market engagement does not include immediate contracts or the procurement of specific systems.

The information gathered will help the department define requirements for future tenders and assess the technical solutions currently available on the market to counter this specific threat.