An aerial threat from Russia is plunging Britain’s showpiece summer sporting spectacular into a Game of Drones.
Security chiefs will use unmanned aircraft to guard against enemy drones at the Commonwealth Games, starting in Birmingham next month.
They will be used for air security at a major UK public event for the first time as fears grow over Russian operations here and a revived terror threat.
Intelligence chiefs believe drones are capable of bombing the event.
Spooks fear up to 50 of Vladimir Putin ’s spies are active in Britain and our support of Ukraine since Russia ’s invasion may make us a target.
On Friday the Prime Minister emphasised that backing by making a second visit to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
About 5,000 athletes from up to 72 nations are expected to compete at venues in Birmingham and the West Midlands during the Games, which run from July 28 to August 8.
Last night a source said: “There is a risk Russia may try and disrupt the Games, that includes everything from a drone attack to the use of a nerve agent.
“The Commonwealth Games is a high-profile event with a global audience and could easily be exploited by the Kremlin. It is easy to see how Putin would want to punish the UK for supplying weapons to Ukraine.”
Well-placed sources told the Sunday People that specialist troops will use unmanned aircraft systems designed to capture, destroy or prevent drones from flying.
An intelligence official described using counter-drone technology to protect a major public event as “unprecedented”.
And in the wake of the potential threat, the Ministry of Defence has revealed up to 1,000 members of the armed forces – including bomb disposal officers, special forces and snipers – will be deployed under the codename Operation Unity.
Armed undercover experts from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment will mingle with crowds at venues including the Games’ 18,000- capacity Alexander Stadium.
Troops will be equipped with items such as attack drones, lasers and weapons to disrupt other crafts’ GPS and radio signals. One of the systems being used would be the SkyWall Patrol, a drone catcher that fires a web-like net that causes enemy craft to crash.
Other devices stop radio waves reaching the drone forcing it to land.
The MoD is still developing counter-drone weapon systems. One called Orcus should be ready to protect RAF bases from drone attacks by 2025.
Some counter-drone systems likely to be used at the Games will be similar to the equipment used by the RAF at Gatwick in December 2018 when the airport was closed because of a reported drone sighting.
It is thought British troops used a system called Drone Dome, electronic jammers and sensors to find, identify and neutralise craft.
Lt Col Philip Ingram, an ex-military intelligence officer and NATO planner, said: “The Commonwealth Games gives a potential opportunity for Russia to try and disrupt what is happening due to the UK’s support for Ukraine.
“A potential threat is the use of drones either by Russia, terrorists or misguided members of the public.
“The Russians have a history, using the covert elements of the Russian military intelligence, of doing this but it is distinctly possible that they could utilise cyber and disinformation attacks to try and disrupt the Games.
“Lockdown through the pandemic has resulted in very little visible terror activity but that doesn’t mean it went away.”
He added: “Terror groups have continued to recruit, groom, encourage and resource potential attackers and the publicly accessible locations at the Games provide a perfect target opportunity.”
Meanwhile, there are concerns over the widespread activities of dozens of Russian spies active in all areas of British society, including universities the Civil Service and the Commons.
An intelligence source said: “They scoop up all forms of intelligence and pass it back to the Kremlin through a series of handlers.
“This could be anything from what sort of weaponry and how much is being sent to the Ukraine to the sexual antics of the country’s political and military leaders.”
Last week a suspected Russian spy was arrested at Gatwick about to board a plane. The man in his 40s remains in custody.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the national security of the UK. But we have made huge strides in recent years to counter the threat posed and to increase our resilience and that of our allies to Russian malign activity.”
He added the National Security Bill will enable our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to deter, detect and disrupt the full range of modern day state threats.
