Military support What help could be given?

What is MACA? Any military support to the Home Office would be through the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA), which authorises the operational deployment of the armed forces within the UK.

Requests for military help require ministerial approval. Any military support is paid for by the government department or civil authority asking for help.

What equipment could the military provide? The Ministry of Defence (MoD) would not comment on what equipment other than Royal Navy ships could be used to track migrants attempting to cross the Channel. However, the military possesses a range of surveillance capabilities that could search for small vessels.

Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters Airborne surveillance and targeting cameras on Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters – capable of producing high-resolution stills and video – were deployed in the Black Sea in the summer to search for a suspected Russian spy ship. The cameras can be used in thermal mode to spot heat signatures – particularly useful when searching for engines or people against the cold background of the sea.

British Army Apache helicopters Similar cameras, capable of seeing by day and night in normal or thermal imaging modes, are mounted on British Army Apache helicopters.

Remotely Piloted Air Systems Other airborne assets such as drones (known as Remotely Piloted Air Systems) are sometimes more effective as they can remain on task longer than most manned assets. All three services operate drones, but some, such as the RAF’s Reaper aircraft, cannot fly in all UK airspace.