The UK Ministry of Justice has opened a new funding round for technology firms to test counter-drone systems around prisons, turning a growing operational problem into a structured evaluation programme.
What the new funding covers
The ministry says companies can bid for up to £900,000 in the next phase of a wider UK Research and Innovation-backed programme. The work is intended to evaluate practical ways of detecting and dealing with drones near prisons, where conventional security measures have struggled to keep pace with small, low-cost aircraft.
The government reported 1,497 drone-related incidents across prisons in England and Wales in the year to March 2026. That figure includes sightings and suspected deliveries, so it should not be read as a count of confirmed successful drops, but it shows why authorities are looking for better evidence and response tools.
Why prisons are a difficult counter-UAS site
A prison perimeter is a constrained environment: radio interference, buildings, trees, legal privacy limits and the need to avoid disrupting legitimate aviation all affect system design. A detector that works on an open test range may produce too many false alarms when installed near urban infrastructure.
The response also has to be proportionate. Identifying a drone, locating its pilot and preventing a payload from reaching a yard are different tasks, and a system that solves one of them may not solve the others. The strongest trials will therefore measure the complete workflow rather than a single sensor's range.
What operators should watch
Useful results will include detection time, classification confidence, coverage around blind spots, alert handling and the time required to pass information to prison staff or police. The programme may also reveal how much of the answer is technology and how much is site planning, staff training and intelligence work.
For drone-security buyers, this is a reminder that a counter-UAS purchase should start with a threat model and operating procedure. A catalogue of sensors is less valuable than a measured system that can be maintained, audited and used safely in a crowded environment.
Counter-drone security is becoming an operational service
The UK prison programme is significant because it focuses on repeatable trials instead of a single equipment announcement. Evidence from real sites should help public-sector buyers compare detection, identification and response as one security workflow.
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