New Competition to Counter Drone Threats Near Prisons
The UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), representing the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), has initiated a new competition aimed at addressing the increasing misuse of drones around prison facilities. With funding of up to £1.85 million available, the competition seeks innovative technologies to effectively neutralise hostile drones that breach prison airspace.
Importance of the Initiative
The rise in drone-related activities by criminal organisations poses serious safety risks within prisons, including smuggling contraband and conducting surveillance operations. Drones are often inexpensive and easily operated, making them challenging to counter effectively and placing both prison security and national safety at jeopardy.
Conventional counter-drone strategies, such as kinetic interceptors or broad-spectrum jamming, are typically ill-suited for use in urban and custodial environments due to their potential dangers to individuals and infrastructure. This new competition aims to foster ‘last-line-of-defence’ solutions, which can safely neutralise drones that have intruded into secure zones without causing unnecessary harm or disruption.
Competition Goals
Seeking Effective Solutions
- Technologies that act as a final barrier once a drone has penetrated a secure area.
- Tools that can be deployed by prison staff within existing legal powers.
- Systems that neutralise drones with minimal risk to individuals, structures, and communication systems.
- Safe in settings such as prisons, urban landscapes, and areas critical to national infrastructure.
- Quickly deployable by small teams without the need for specialized training.
- Legally and ethically compliant solutions, considering operational limitations.
While integrated capabilities for detecting, tracking, and identifying drones are welcome, the primary focus of the competition is on methods for defeating drones rather than merely detecting them.
Limitations on Funding
- Proposals for paper-based studies or literature reviews will not be considered.
- Previous submissions to UKDI or the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) that remain unchanged will be excluded.
- Off-the-shelf products lacking novel experimental development are ineligible.
- Proposals with no feasible path to operational use cannot be funded.
- High-collateral methods involving firearms or explosives will not be supported.
- Static measures such as netting are not part of the desired approach.
- Concepts requiring significant infrastructure changes will not be considered.
- Solutions lacking scalability or adaptability to practical situations are ineligible.
Challenge Areas Defined
Higher-Readiness Solutions
- Must achieve Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 by the conclusion of the project.
- Project duration: 3 to 6 months.
- Should demonstrate a functioning prototype in a real-world environment.
- Clear pathways towards deployment must be established.
Medium-Readiness Concepts
- Must reach TRL 4 or 5 by the end of the project.
- Project length: up to 12 months.
- Focused on innovative ideas with promising future capabilities.
Key Dates for Participants
- Competition submission deadline: midday (BST) on 31 March 2026.
- Launch webinar: scheduled for Tuesday 17 February 2026 (registration available via Eventbrite).
- Projects are anticipated to commence in early July 2026.
Call for Proposals
Individuals or organisations with proposals aimed at enhancing prison safety against hostile drone activities are encouraged to participate in this initiative. Interested parties can review the full competition details and submit their proposals by the specified deadline.
Source: official statements, news agencies, and public reports.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/185-million-competition-launched-to-counter-illegal-uas-use-around-prisons-and-sensitive-sites
