LAKENHEATH, England — U.S. Air Force security forces responded Friday evening to suspected unauthorised drone activity over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, the service said, in a statement reported by Reuters and the BBC. No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected.
“This evening, USAF Security Forces personnel responded to suspected unauthorized drone activity over RAF Lakenheath,” a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said. “No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected.”
The Air Force said it was working closely with its British counterparts. “We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, U.S. and host nation civilians, contractors, and all of our families,” the spokesperson said.
Residents in a nearby village reported hearing sirens at the base. Those reports have not been confirmed, and neither the Air Force nor Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said whether a drone was found, who may have operated one, or whether any drone was hostile.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said it was “coordinating with all relevant parties” and that U.S. Air Force security personnel had responded to the reports. The situation was resolved, the ministry said. “We are working closely with them to establish the facts,” it added. “We will provide updates in due course.”
Nick Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk, said he had spoken to authorities at the base. He was told “there is no threat to the public, and the incident is now resolved,” he wrote on social media. “Given the raised threat level, I continue to encourage everyone to report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary to the authorities,” Timothy added.
Aircraft Moved From Mildenhall Earlier This Week
The Lakenheath response came days after aircraft left the nearby RAF Mildenhall base. Flight-tracking data seen by BBC Verify showed 10 KC-135 tankers leaving Mildenhall on Monday. On Tuesday afternoon, two more Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers took off. One appeared to be bound for Germany. The other was seen landing at Prestwick Airport, near Glasgow.
Flight trackers also recorded three CV-22 Ospreys leaving Mildenhall for Lakenheath. With those included, more than 12 aircraft moved in all. Counts published since Monday have ranged from 13 to at least 15, and the Air Force has not given its own total.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Mildenhall aircraft were moved in response to a threat from Iran. The BBC said it had not independently verified that claim. A U.S. Air Force spokesperson declined to give a reason for the moves and said U.S. aircraft rotate between bases for a variety of reasons, including training and real-world requirements.
Security at Mildenhall and Lakenheath was raised this week to Force Protection Condition Charlie, the second-highest level, according to U.S. officials cited by the Journal. Downing Street said British airbases were safe. Asked whether the government maintained that position, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said yes, adding: “The protection of our bases, both in the UK and across the world, is a top priority.”
The Fairford Incident in September
Security had already been tightened at U.S. bases in Britain after an incident at RAF Fairford on Sept. 27. In the middle of the night, a group of men drove toward the base in white vans. Residents living nearby were evacuated, and armed police searched the area alongside bomb disposal experts. Petrol was in the vans, police said. Explosives were not.
There were strong indications, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC, that Iran had played a part in what happened at Fairford. He later told Parliament the assessment was that it was highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran and almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran denied any responsibility.
The United States removed all of its bombers from Fairford in October. The Pentagon said on Oct. 4 that all U.S. bombers deployed there had redeployed to their home stations in the United States. The bombers, B-1 aircraft, had been used to strike Iran.
Two men were charged last month in connection with the Fairford incident. The Crown Prosecution Service said Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, of London, was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, which counterterrorism police said was Iran’s, and Nouman Essghir, 24, also of London, was charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom. Both charges were brought under the National Security Act. They are allegations, and neither man has been convicted. Virginia Times reported earlier on Britain’s sanctions over the Fairford assessment.
RAF Lakenheath hosts the 48th Fighter Wing, known as the Liberty Wing. The wing hosts nearly 7,000 active-duty personnel and British and U.S. civilians, along with 11,000 family members, across RAF Lakenheath and RAF Feltwell, according to the wing’s website. It is the largest U.S. fighter operation in Europe, the site says, and it has four combat-ready fighter squadrons flying F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning II aircraft.