Unidentified Drones Spotted over Bases Used by U.S. Air Force in Britain

The Washington Post / Kelsey Baker

12:07 JST, November 26, 2024

Multiple unidentified drones were seen last week near three British air bases used by American forces, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement Monday.

The drones were detected between Wednesday and Sunday, near Royal Air Force Lakenheath, Royal Air Force Mildenhall and Royal Air Force Feltwell, all three of which are in eastern England. The bases house thousands of U.S. service members, primarily Air Force personnel.

“The number of [drone] systems fluctuated, and they ranged in sizes and configurations,” the U.S. Air Force said in a statement. The drones were “actively monitored and installation leaders determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets,” the Air Force said.

“To protect operational security, we do not discuss our specific force protection measures but retain the right to protect the installation,” the statement said. “We continue to monitor our airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets.”

The Air Force did not provide information on who might be behind the incident.

It’s the latest in a series of drone encounters near American military and intelligence installations, though other incursions have occurred within the United States.

National security officials detected drones of unknown origin hovering around bases in Virginia for more than two weeks last year, the Wall Street Journal reported. Drones were also seen near an experimental nuclear-weapons site in Nevada in 2023, the Journal reported.

According to the Air Force website, RAF Lakenheath houses the 48th Fighter Wing and is the largest Air Force-operated base in England.

The unit also maintains Joint Direct Attack Munitions missiles used by F-35A and F-15E fighter jets.