Around 10 years ago, a colleague of mine gave a presentation to the MoD on the use of UAVs and the auto pilot systems that would become readily available off the shelf as technology advanced in that area.

You can now sit at home, program your drone to fly to any destination within the range of its battery from a simple google earth map based program. There's not much you can do to stop one of these once it's on it's way, the coordinates are programmed in so there's no person with a transmitter flying the machine, it's completely autonomous. I'm not sure jamming the GPS signal will work, they may just default to internal accelerometers to guesstimate their position?

Some of these drones are capable of easily supporting a 5kg load so you can imagine how easy it would be to put these machines to wrong use.

I can't see a fix for this threat, even if you licensed the purchasing of these drones, parts are so easily available and they are relatively simple to build.

I own a DJI Phantom, a fantastic fun toy and a very effective mount for a go-pro camera, you can capture stunning shots that 5 years ago would have meant hiring a helicopter for an afternoon, I don't have any of the auto pilot or first person view equipment though, mine is a hands on stick flying machine.

What can be done to protect the public or key installations from something like this, I think it's only a matter of time before their use is for something more sinister than aerial photography or just fun.

An interesting concern. How about when self driving cars get hacked to kill pedestrians? Potential to deliver something a great deal more than 5KG and from a great distance...

Don't even need to attach anything to one. Get it running near an airport, City airport I'd suggest for maximum damage, and fly it into an engine.

Even if you missed, and the likelyhood is that you would, you could cause massive disruption to airspace for a while.

Just arrest all the terrorists.

Ever considered a career in MI6 Ali?

In reality, is this any different to radio controlled aircraft? I know that drones can be programmed but, honestly, most terrorists don't seem too worried about getting caught anyway - so they could just stand on top of a tall building and fly a radio controlled model into whatever.

I should think the best thing to do would be to put craft capable of meeting x criteria under the ANO or similar.

But to be honest RC aircraft have been around for years, and technology to automate heading for nearly as long. I think we would've seen something by now if it were a problem.

We use a drone at work (for aerial shots of big houses with lots of land, mainly) and it is impressive to see how easy they are to control.

It'd be interesting to see what the contingency would be for a drone related attack. I don't imagine it's easy to shoot down something so small.

A shotgun and some swan shot. Can't be much harder than a bird

Harder than you might think :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR5BtXP0s0o

Nutters. Yup, bloody difficult with a machine gun. That's why you don't see many pheasant shoots with Uzis

A shotgun though is a completely different proposition (speaking as runner-up in the students' national championships for clay shooting )

It's actually remarkably easy to shoot a clay going directly over your head shooting from the hip.

A large sprung net, such as is used for small birds, would do the trick - but only once, of course. But I'm sure something could be worked out that would basically install cruft into their propellers.

They're an order of magnitude easier to fly than a three-axis model aircraft.

Oh I know, I'm a clay shooter myself :-) but you know that one coming at you is a far different issue to one at distance and speed going across you.

They're bothered to learn how to fly jet airliners...

Aye, but one of these? Stick a POV camera on and a POV headset, and you can see where you're going without having to bother with expensive lessons.

I'm sure they're easy to shoot down with a shotgun, but at what range? And you can see a bird or clay pigeon coming; I don't imagine these things show up on radar.

Absolutely. My point is a simple thing like learning to fly a model plane (which isn't actually that hard - I taught myself) hasn't been much of a barrier up to now.

Further than you might imagine. Wildfowlers can take geese out from quite a way up. And drones, whilst easy to fly and very stable, aren't particular fast. In my day, I'd have felt pretty confident of getting a drone before it got me. (These days I probably couldn't hit a Jumbo jet stood on the steps)

But, yes, knowing it was coming (especially at night) might be more difficult.

Well, if I was a terrorist or someone that wanted to cause serious damage, but without the ideas and/or knowledge, I certainly have it now

Well, except easier still is half a ton of fertiliser and oil and a Ford Transit...

Thing is, T, someone with my education and experience could build an explosive device I could guarantee to go off plus or minus a couple of seconds a month away - or if in sight, remote control it at least four different (and explainable) ways. And I'm not unusual; there are thousands of people in the UK with that sort of technical education. It's just that most of us don't mistake people for targets.

Lets face it, to hijack a fuel tanker, or two and park it in the middle of Dartford tunnel couldn't be that hard.

This is what triggered my initial post Neil.

They are magnificent buildings so I can understand someone wanting to capture them on film.

First i have seen that reported although i did read this!

Would of just said some kids got one and is messing around or just trying to get some decent pictures of the famous sites or even perhaps of some famous peoples privacy?

who knows but being five or three, it doesn't state if they are three definite drones or three to five sightings
im guessing they meant 3 actual drones spotted at 5 different times but that sort of details makes a difference!

Surely the secret service can hack any communication stream to see what its about and even take over control of them if needed!

Interesting to know that they are banned at night and need a permit in the day! is the uk like this? if it is i would not of had a clue so could of been doing this blissfully unaware of any laws!

I don't know the exact rules, but flying them over here requires some sort of licence if you do it for commercial purposes (selling aerial photography, for example).

Anywhere in the UK, you must be always 500ft above the highest point. You must not fly in an ATZ without radio permission from the ATC (and the necessary licences to use the radio). You must be able to glide to at least 500m (horizontal) from a building or public gathering in the event of an engine failing. You must maintain the plane in visual contact at all times. You may not fly POV without a spotter in visual contact. You may not fly unlicenced for commercial hire or reward.

Basically, you have to follow the Air Navigation Order.

Note that the entirety of London is covered by an ATZ...

I believe you're not allowed to fly below 20,000 feet over Paris.

It's almost as if the BBC are answering our questions:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31639374

I love the idea of a fighter jet shooting down a $200 drone!!! Especially over Paris - a quick burst of 20mm cannon

"Merd alors! I've hit the Sacre Coeur. Ah, bof!!!"