What are drones?

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, also known as drones, are small aircrafts with a camera onboard that are piloted from the ground via remote control. This provides officers with a live aerial view of the immediate area where they are deployed.

The use of drones is controlled and authorised by the Civil Aviation Authority. Only specially trained officers are qualified to pilot drones. At the time of writing, Police Scotland have eight trained officers, with a requirement for there to be two officers present when drones are in use.

Police Scotland currently has 12 drones, with ten of these being available for use operationally and for training and two specifically for training.  All the drones are manufactured by DJI and include the M300, M30t, Mini 2 and Phantom 4. The number of drones was increased by five in 2023 following capital investment to allow greater access to drones through new hubs in the east and north command areas.