On the evening of 13 November, sirens sounded at the US airbase at RAF Lakenheath in the UK due to suspicious drone activity. Service personnel were ordered to take cover immediately, whilst US Air Force security forces began a sweep of the airspace. Sky News reported the incident, citing the US military command. According to official reports, no personnel, aircraft or base infrastructure were harmed. The British Ministry of Defence subsequently confirmed that the threat had been neutralised, although the origin of the drones remains unknown.
- Suspicious drone activity has been detected above the American airbase at RAF Lakenheath.
- Sirens sounded across the base, and the soldiers were ordered to take shelter.
- The US command has confirmed that there were no casualties and no damage to military equipment.
- The incident occurred against a backdrop of increased security at US bases in Britain.
US military personnel were ordered to take cover immediately
The incident took place at the air base RAF Lakenheath in the county of Suffolk in the east of England. According to Sky News, US military personnel received an urgent warning instructing them to remain in sheltered areas.
The journalists were shown the text of the message that had been sent to staff. It bore the label ‘REAL WORLD’, indicating a genuine threat rather than a drill.
US Air Force security forces responded to reports of unauthorised drone activity over the military base.
The US command confirmed the incident but emphasised that no service personnel were injured and that the aircraft and the base’s infrastructure remained undamaged.
The British Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the incident has been resolved
The UK Ministry of Defence has stated that it is coordinating with the US and investigating the circumstances surrounding the appearance of the suspicious drones.
Member of the British Parliament for West Suffolk Nick Timothy stated that, following consultations with the airbase command, he had received confirmation that there was no threat to the local population.
RAF Lakenheath is one of the largest US air bases in Europe. The US Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing is stationed here, and the number of military personnel stands at nearly 7,000.
The US had previously redeployed aircraft from other British air bases
The appearance of suspicious drones came against a backdrop of heightened security measures at US military bases in the UK.
Earlier this week, the US redeployed more than a dozen military aircraft from RAF Mildenhall, which is also located in Suffolk. According to Western media reports, the decision was linked to potential threats which the US attributed to Iran.
In October, American bombers also left RAF Fairford following reports of potential security threats. British law enforcement agencies are investigating a separate incident near this base, in which there are suspicions of activities carried out on behalf of Iranian intelligence.
At the same time, there is no official confirmation that Iran or any other state was involved in the appearance of drones over RAF Lakenheath.
