US Air Force Responds to Suspected Drone Activity at RAF Lakenheath

Incident at RAF Lakenheath

The US Air Force said it responded to “suspected unauthorised drone activity” on Friday night at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, one of several airbases in the UK used by the US military. No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected, the air force said.

Sirens were heard at the base.

The USAF added: “We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, US and host nation civilians, contractors and all of our families.

“Protecting our shared community is a joint responsibility, and we encourage everyone to support this effort by reporting any unusual or suspicious activity to local authorities.”

UK Response

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We are coordinating with all relevant parties regarding reports of unauthorised drone activity at RAF Lakenheath this evening.

“USAF security forces personnel responded to the reports and the situation is now resolved. We are working closely with them to establish the facts. We will provide updates in due course.”

Nick Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk, said the authorities at the base had told him “there is no threat to the public, and the incident is now resolved”.

He added: “Given the raised threat level, I continue to encourage everyone to report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary to the authorities.”

Context

RAF Lakenheath said in September it was on “Charlie alert”, the second-highest threat level that can be issued by the US department of defense.

It is home to the 48th fighter wing, also known as the Liberty wing, with almost 7,000 active-duty personnel making it the largest US fighter operation in Europe, according to the official base website.

Earlier this year, police investigated an alleged terror plot at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and a trespass incident at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. Both bases are used by the US Air Force.

In the past two months the US has evacuated planes from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Fairford in response to suspected attacks on the bases allegedly linked to Iran.

This week, at least 12 USAF aircraft departed the nearby RAF Mildenhall base including two Boeing Stratotanker KC-135 refuelling aircraft, with one headed towards Germany and another seen landing at Prestwick airport near Glasgow.

Downing Street insisted earlier this week that British airbases are safe and their security is a “top priority”.

Why it matters

The incident follows a period of heightened security at US airbases in Britain, including evacuations of aircraft from RAF Mildenhall and RAF Fairford over the past two months. RAF Lakenheath remains on Charlie alert, the second-highest threat level issued by the US department of defense.

Sources

• cnn.com: US Air Force responds to suspected drone activity over UK airbase | CNN
• theguardian.com: US Air Force responds to suspected drone activity at RAF Lakenheath | Military | The Guardian

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.