The U.K. government has pledged to take firm action against those responsible for recent drone incursions over U.S. air bases in England. Mystery drones have been observed over four bases leased by the United States Air Force (USAF), prompting a response from both British and American authorities.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were reported over Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell in Suffolk and Norfolk between Saturday and Monday. A fourth base, RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, was also targeted. RAF Fairford recently hosted the arrival of four B-52 Stratofortress bombers, raising concerns about the timing of the drone activities.
The bases house critical USAF assets, including F-35A Lightning IIs and F-15E Strike Eagles at RAF Lakenheath, KC-135 mid-air refueling aircraft at RAF Mildenhall, and logistical personnel at RAF Feltwell. RAF Lakenheath has also been under preparation to potentially store U.S. nuclear weapons, following reports of a planned reintroduction of these assets to the U.K.
Despite the incidents, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) confirmed that the drones had not interfered with base operations. However, Defence Minister Maria Eagle emphasized that measures are being taken to address the security breaches. “We are aware of what’s going on and are doing our best to deal with it,” Eagle said during a parliamentary debate on air and missile defense.
The Civil Aviation Authority has imposed flight restriction zones around the affected bases to mitigate further incidents. The MOD and USAF have increased airspace monitoring, and 60 RAF personnel have been deployed to support the investigation. A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe stated that their units are working closely with British authorities to protect installations, personnel, and assets.
The recent drone incursions occurred after reports that Ukraine had used U.S. and UK-provided missiles to strike targets inside Russia for the first time, prompting retaliatory ballistic missile strikes from Moscow.
