Pictures reveal what appears to be a smoking Home Office drone on the hard shoulder of the M20.
Firefighters were called to the westbound carriageway between Junction 13 (Folkestone) and Junction 12 (Cheriton) at about 2pm today.
National Highways initially described it as a vehicle fire.
However, a photo shared with KentOnline shows an upturned drone with Home Office branding, with a firefighter standing next to it.
Dashcam footage from a passing vehicle also shows smoke wafting from the aircraft with one fire engine and a crew on scene.
The picture appears to show the drone’s registration is G-TEKE. According to FlightRadar24, that aircraft is a Tekever AR5 Evolution MK2, which is designed for maritime surveillance missions.
In 2023, the Home Office awarded Tekever a three-year contract to provide surveillance drones to be used over the English Channel.
The aircraft can fly for more than 20 hours and carry multiple sensors, including maritime radars and day and night cameras.
As part of the contract, the AR5 is used to detect potentially illegal vessels, track and identify them, and provide the authorities with real-time and highly accurate intelligence.
In 2023, Dr Neil Honeyman, chief technology officer for the Home Office’s Small Boats Operational Command, said: “Tekever is a trusted partner and we are delighted to continue our excellent working relationship with them over the next three years, using their cutting-edge systems as part of our continued efforts to tackle this illegal and extremely dangerous activity in the English Channel.”
It is not yet known if the drone crashed from the sky or was being carried on a vehicle and fell off.
By 3pm traffic had cleared and both lanes were open as usual.
The Home Office and fire service have been contacted for more information
