Defence Legislation

Laws and policies relating to military operations, defense procurement, armed forces administration, and national security strategy.

The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2026

Published: Mon 16th Mar 26

This Statutory Instrument, made by the Secretary of State, exercises powers under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 to formally designate specific sunken military vessels and define surrounding maritime areas as 'controlled sites,' thereby applying legal protection against disturbance to these remains; it names numerous additional vessels for designation, extends the protected radii for certain existing sites, and revokes the previous designation Order from 2019.

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Royal Air Force Coningsby) Regulations 2026

Published: Tue 24th Feb 26

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Royal Air Force Coningsby) Regulations 2026 impose a temporary prohibition on aircraft flying below 8,000 feet above mean sea level within a 6 nautical mile radius centred at 530534N 0001000W, specifically between 1230 and 1330 hours Co-ordinated Universal Time on March 16, 2026.

This measure is enacted by the Secretary of State for Transport in the public interest to ensure safety during flying display rehearsals conducted by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, while permitting exceptions for aircraft authorized by designated Air Traffic Control units.

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Whitfield) (Restricted Area EGR1U100) Regulations 2026

Published: Tue 24th Feb 26

These 2026 Regulations impose a restriction on the flight of unmanned aircraft below 1,000 feet above mean sea level within a specified area around Whitfield, Kent, designated as Restricted Area EGR1U100, based on security interests identified by the Secretary of State at the request of the Home Office; the Regulations come into force on 11th June 2026, revoke previous 2025 restrictions, and provide exemptions for emergency services and operations permitted by Border Force.

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Leicestershire) (Emergency) Regulations 2026

Published: Tue 17th Feb 26

These Regulations impose emergency restrictions on the flight of unmanned aircraft within a defined circular area centered on Leicester, prohibiting all flights below 1000 feet above mean sea level unless specifically directed by the Leicestershire Police; the Secretary of State implemented this restriction immediately due to a public interest matter arising from an emergency in the specified area.

The Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025

The Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 enact changes to the existing 2025 amendment regulations concerning disciplinary, performance, and appeals procedures for Ministry of Defence Police officers.

The primary action taken by these Regulations is the revocation of Parts 2, 3, and 4 of the 2025 Regulations, along with specific regulations dealing with tribunal processes and transitional arrangements, effectively removing most of the amendments previously introduced by the 2025 Regulations, except for one definition and a specific amendment related to Scottish tribunal legislation.

This Order, made by HM Treasury under the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000, revises the list of designated central government bodies for the purpose of calculating supply estimates and resource accounts for the financial year ending March 31, 2026.

Specifically, it substitutes the entire Schedule of the principal Order (The Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 (Estimates and Accounts) Order 2025) with an updated list organized by government department, adding, renaming, or removing various public sector bodies.

The Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Published: Tue 16th Dec 25

The Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 update the existing 2020 sanctions framework concerning the Central African Republic to incorporate amendments mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2745 (2024) and 2789 (2025).

These amendments primarily introduce new definitions for "armed group operating in the Central African Republic" and "associated individual" and subsequently amend provisions concerning the arms embargo, export of military goods, provision of technical assistance, financial services, and brokering activities to target these non-state actors directly, ensuring the UK's sanctions regime reflects its international obligations.

The Unmanned Aircraft (Offences and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025

These Regulations establish criminal offences in the UK for UAS operators and remote pilots who fail to comply with specific requirements detailed in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 concerning the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

The legislation, which comes into force in January 2026 across the whole of the UK, specifies the breaches that constitute offences, ranging from registration failures to competency issues across 'open', 'specific', and 'certified' flight categories, sets out associated summary conviction penalties, and makes consequential amendments to the Police Act 1997, the Air Navigation Order 2016, and the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 to reflect these new criminal provisions.