US Air Force Responds to Suspected Drones at RAF Lakenheath
US Air Force security personnel responded to suspected unauthorized drone activity over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. The Ministry of Defence says the situation is resolved, and no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected. The alert follows weeks of heightened concern over security at US-used bases in Britain.
The US Air Force responded to suspected unauthorized drone activity over RAF Lakenheath, a base in Suffolk, England, on Friday evening, officials said. No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said US Air Force Security Forces personnel answered the reports and that the situation is now resolved.
The incident comes as security around US-used bases in Britain is under scrutiny, amid the ongoing war between the US and Iran.
What officials said
A US European Command spokesperson confirmed the response. "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," the spokesperson said.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We are working closely with them to establish the facts. We will provide updates in due course."
Nick Timothy, the lawmaker for West Suffolk, said on Facebook that the base told him there was no threat to the public. He urged people to report anything suspicious, and asked the ministry and the US Air Force to communicate as freely as operational security allows.
Suffolk police has been approached for comment.
A base on alert
RAF Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, known as the Liberty Wing. According to the official base website, almost 7,000 active-duty personnel make it the largest US fighter operation in Europe.
The base said in September that it was on "Charlie alert," the second-highest threat level the US Department of Defense can issue.
Earlier this week, Downing Street insisted British airbases are safe and that their security is a "top priority". That followed the move of US aircraft from nearby RAF Mildenhall, also in Suffolk. A news report said several American refuelling tankers were relocated to Germany and other locations because of a threat from Iran.
Wider security concerns
US bombers used to strike Iran also left RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on security grounds. That followed an incident on September 27, when a group of men approached the base in white vans in the middle of the night.
Two men were charged last month over that incident. Prosecutors allege one of them tried to assist Iranian intelligence in Britain. The US Justice Department said this week that a member of an Iran-backed militia had plotted to attack the Fairford base while detained in the US on criminal charges.
Britain's domestic spy chief said in October that Iran had stepped up attempts to hit harder targets, such as military sites. Tehran has rejected accusations of involvement in the Fairford incident and of malign activity in Britain.
Elsewhere in Europe, Germany has blamed Russia for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August, after workers found a drone laden with explosives and a detonator.
