US Air Force responds to suspected drone activity at RAF Lakenheath

RAF Lakenheath drone response

US Air Force Security Forces personnel at RAF Lakenheath responded to reports of unauthorised drone activity over the Suffolk base on Friday evening, according to Britain's Ministry of Defence. The ministry said the situation had been resolved and that it was working closely with US counterparts to establish the facts, with updates to follow.

A US Air Force spokesperson said by email that no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected. The spokesperson added that the US continues to work closely with host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of US service members, US and host nation civilians, contractors, and families.

West Suffolk MP Nick Timothy was told there is no threat to the public and that the incident is now resolved, after he contacted authorities at the base.

Broader security context at British bases

The US moved bombers that had been used to strike Iran out of Britain and relocated huge refuelling aircraft from Britain to Germany. The bombers left RAF Fairford on security grounds after a group of men approached the base in white vans in the middle of the night on September 27.

Two men were charged last month in relation to that incident, with prosecutors alleging one of them had 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 air 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 in Britain. Tehran has rejected accusations of involvement in the Fairford incident or any other accusations of malign activity in Britain.

The New York Post account said the drone incident came just days after the US moved more than a dozen aircraft from RAF Mildenhall because of a threat, and it said RAF Mildenhall raised its alert level to FPCON Charlie. The BBC account said heightened security activity followed an incident at RAF Fairford in September that Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Iran played a part in, and it said the US removed all of its bombers from the base in October.

The i Paper account said Downing Street insisted earlier this week that British air bases are safe and their security is a top priority after US aircraft were moved from nearby RAF Mildenhall.

International security parallels

Germany has blamed Russia for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August after airport workers found a drone laden with explosives and a detonator at the airport. Leipzig/Halle is an important civilian freight and NATO logistics hub in eastern Germany and is also a base for several giant Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo planes.

The France 24 account tied the Lakenheath drone incident to earlier security steps after the US Justice Department announced charges against three men it described as Iranian operatives over their role in an alleged terrorist plot at RAF Fairford.

Unanswered questions

The US Air Force has not publicly identified a suspect or provided further details about the response at RAF Lakenheath. Britain's Ministry of Defence said it would provide updates in due course as it works to establish the facts. Whether the drone activity at Lakenheath is connected to the reported Iranian threats against American assets in Britain remains unconfirmed by either government.

US Air Force personnel at RAF Lakenheath responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity on Friday evening, with no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure affected, and the situation now resolved.