Two British aircraft encounter unidentified objects over North Sea, neither shows up on radar

Two Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft reported close encounters with unidentified objects flying thousands of feet above the North Sea in separate incidents in February, with one pilot saying he instinctively ducked as a small, black object passed directly over his aircraft. Neither object was detected on radar, according to incident reports reviewed by The Telegraph.

The first incident involved an RAF Voyager tanker flying at 17,000 feet while refuelling a Typhoon fighter jet off Cromer, Norfolk, on February 18. The second occurred five days later, when an RAF Typhoon pilot spotted a black, circular object during simulated dogfight training off Humberside. The encounters have drawn attention to unidentified objects operating near military aircraft, although the available reports do not establish what either object was.

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RAF Voyager pilot reports object passing 100-150 feet overhead

According to The Telegraph, the Voyager tanker encountered the first object on February 18 while operating at an altitude of 17,000 feet. The pilot reported that a small, black object passed approximately 100 to 150 feet above the aircraft, travelling from east to west.

The pilot informed an RAF radar controller about the encounter, but the controller said the object was not visible on radar. In a subsequent report, the pilot described how close the object had come, saying its proximity had made him instinctively duck.

Although the object was reported at 17,000 feet, the pilot later said he could not positively identify it as a drone. He acknowledged that it could have been a balloon or something similar.

The reported altitude was 42.5 times the UK's usual 400-foot height limit for civilian drones, although the object's identity and nature remained unconfirmed.

Typhoon pilot spots second object during training

A second encounter was reported on February 23, when an RAF Typhoon pilot spotted a black, circular object during simulated dogfight training off Humberside.

The object, described as being roughly the size of a car tyre, reportedly passed about 300 feet above the fighter jet. The aircraft was flying at approximately 12,000 to 12,500 feet at the time.

The pilot reported the sighting to a radar controller. As in the earlier incident, the object was not detected on radar. The incident was subsequently referred to North Yorkshire Police, according to the report.

The RAF concluded that the pilots had acted appropriately in both incidents. The reports, however, did not establish the identity of either object or explain how they came so close to the aircraft without appearing on radar.

IISS report raises concerns over suspected Russian drone surveillance

The sightings come amid allegations that Russia has used its so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers to support drone surveillance operations across Europe.

A report published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in July 2026 assessed that the Kremlin had very likely conducted a coordinated drone campaign across European countries between August 2024 and February 2026. Russian-linked vessels were considered likely to have served as launch and recovery platforms for the suspected operations.

The report examined 144 suspected drone incidents across 13 NATO countries and Ireland, including sightings near military installations and critical infrastructure. It said the suspected campaign may have sought to gather intelligence, test air defence responses and identify vulnerabilities around sensitive sites.

The IISS report also linked suspected drone activity near British military installations, including RAF Lakenheath and RAF Fairford, to the wider pattern of surveillance incidents across Europe.

However, the available information does not establish that the two objects reported near the RAF aircraft were connected to Russia or the suspected surveillance campaign.