2024 US air base drone incursions in the United Kingdom

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Between November 20 and 26, 2024, [1] a series of unauthorized drone activities was reported over and near four US Air Force bases in the United Kingdom: RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Feltwell, and RAF Fairford. [2] [3] These installations, located in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Gloucestershire, are critical to US military operations in Europe. [4] The drone activity persisted for several days, raising concerns about the coordination and intent behind the incursions. [5]

Contents

Incidents

During the incursions, multiple small unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) were observed entering restricted airspace. [3] The drones varied in both number and type. [6]

The incursions prompted joint monitoring and countermeasures by US and UK military personnel. [7] British troops were deployed to assist in tracking and identifying the drone operators, using counter-drone systems such as ORCUS. [8] The incursions also led to disruptions in flight operations, with F-15E Strike Eagles scrambled from RAF Lakenheath to investigate. [9]

Authorities encountered difficulties in identifying the drone operators, raising concerns about potential espionage or hostile surveillance. [7] The incursions heightened worries about the security of critical military infrastructure. Investigations are ongoing, and both the operators and their intentions remain unknown. [10] [11]

Air bases affected

All four bases are considered highly strategic and sensitive. [10] RAF Mildenhall supports refuelling and special operations, while RAF Feltwell provides logistical support for US forces. [10]

RAF Lakenheath hosts the US Air Force's 48th Fighter Wing, operating F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning II aircraft. [10] RAF Lakenheath is also slated to house American nuclear weapons, adding to the sensitivity of the incursions. [4]

RAF Fairford hosts a Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady detachment from the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron and is the US Air Force’s only European airfield for heavy bombers. It routinely supports Bomber Task Force (BTF) operations. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

Most countries with military aviation forces have a system for naming of military airbases. "Air Force Base" ("AFB") is part of the name of military airbases of the United States Air Force (USAF) and the South African Air Force (SAAF), with the USAF using it at the end of the name of the base, and the SAAF using it at the start. The Royal Australian Air Force uses a slightly different format referring to bases as "RAAF Base". The Canadian Forces also uses a different format referring to any base as "CFB" or "BFC" in French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mildenhall, Suffolk</span> Town in Suffolk, England

Mildenhall is a market town in the civil parish of Mildenhall High, in the West Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The town is near the A11, and is 37 mi (60 km) north-west of Ipswich. The large Royal Air Force station, RAF Mildenhall, as well as RAF Lakenheath, are located north of the town. Both are used by the United States Air Force and Mildenhall is the headquarters of its 100th Air Refueling Wing and 352nd Special Operations Group. Mildenhall is often seen as the start of The Fens on the south/east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Air Force</span> Numbered air force of the United States Air Force responsible for the European region

The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa, and operations and support activities in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command's areas of responsibility. It also has a unique mission as the U.S. military's primary liaison to the British government, which is conducted through the command's 3 AF-UK headquarters at RAF Mildenhall, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Fairford</span> Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. While being an RAF station, Fairford hosts United States Air Force personnel. Since 2019, the base has played host to a Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady detachment from the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. It is the USAF's only European airfield for heavy bombers and routinely supports Bomber Task Force (BTF) operations. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Lakenheath</span> Royal Air Force station near Eriswell, Suffolk, United Kingdom

Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, UK, 4.7 miles (7.6 km) north-east of Mildenhall and 8.3 miles (13.4 km) west of Thetford. The installation's perimeter borders Brandon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakenheath</span> Village in Suffolk, England

Lakenheath is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It has a population of 4,691 according to the 2011 Census, and is situated close to the county boundaries of both Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, and at the meeting point of The Fens and the Breckland natural environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Mildenhall</span> Royal Air Force station near Mildenhall, Suffolk, United Kingdom

Royal Air Force Mildenhall, or more simply RAF Mildenhall, is a Royal Air Force station located near Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as a Royal Air Force station, it primarily supports United States Air Force (USAF) operations, and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">48th Fighter Wing</span> Military unit

The 48th Fighter Wing is part of the United States Air Force's Third Air Force, assigned to Headquarters Air Command Europe and United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). It is based at RAF Lakenheath, England. The 48 FW is the only F-15 wing based in Europe which hosts two F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons. The wing also hosts two F-35A Lightning II squadrons. The 48 FW was given the name "Statue of Liberty Wing" on 4 July 1954 and remains the only U.S. Air Force unit with both a name and a numerical designation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sculthorpe Training Area</span> Former Royal Air Force station, now military training site in Norfolk, England

Sculthorpe Training Area, previously Royal Air Force Sculthorpe / , is a military training site administered by the Defence Training Estate, part of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It is approximately 3 miles west of Fakenham in the county of Norfolk in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Welford</span> Royal Air Force station in Berkshire

Royal Air Force Welford or more simply RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The station is located approximately 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Newbury; about 50 miles (80 km) west of London

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Feltwell</span> Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, England

Royal Air Force Feltwell or more simply RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is used by the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and is in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk at approximate Ordnance Survey grid reference TL 715 900. The site served as a Second World War bomber station, but is now used as a support site for regional AAFES logistics and as a housing estate for United States Air Force personnel stationed nearby at RAF Lakenheath. It is under the administrative control of the 48th Fighter Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">501st Combat Support Wing</span> Military unit

The 501st Combat Support Wing is an administrative support wing of the United States Air Force, based at RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom. It is one of three wings located in the United Kingdom as components of the Third Air Force and United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Air Force in the United Kingdom</span>

Since 1942 the United States has maintained air bases in the United Kingdom. Major Commands of the USAF having bases in the United Kingdom were the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), Strategic Air Command (SAC), and Air Mobility Command (AMC).

Between 1948 and 1992, personnel and aircraft of the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC) were routinely deployed to bases in England. An informal agreement to base SAC bombers in the UK was reached between US General Carl Spaatz, and Marshal of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Lord Tedder, in July 1946. At that time there were only three bases in the UK deemed suitable for operating Boeing B-29 Superfortresses: RAF Lakenheath, RAF Marham and RAF Sculthorpe. These were airbases that had been extended during World War II when there were plans to use B-29s against Germany. When the Berlin Blockade began in June 1948, two B-29 groups deployed to the UK, but neither was equipped with Silverplate bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Nuclear-capable Boeing B-50 Superfortress bombers began deploying in 1949, and nuclear bombs followed in 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment</span> Royal Air Force Regiment Squadron

No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment is a C-UAS squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. Its mission is to detect, track, and ultimately disrupt and destroy unmanned airborne vehicles. The squadron's current HQ is at RAF Leeming. The motto of the squadron is "Feu de Fer "(Fire from Iron).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">494th Fighter Squadron</span> Military unit

The 494th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the Panthers, is part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, where they operate the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle.

Royal Air Force Barkway or more simply RAF Barkway was one of the smallest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom. It was a communications station and was a small collection of buildings and a large radio mast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">48th Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 48th Operations Group is the flying component of the 48th Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. The group is stationed at RAF Lakenheath, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khmeimim Air Base</span> Airbase located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria

Khmeimim Air Base, also Hmeimim Air Base, is a Syrian airbase currently operated by Russia, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria and approximately 2 miles north-east of the coastal town of Jableh. The airbase shares some airfield facilities with Bassel Al-Assad International Airport. The legal status of the base is regulated by a treaty Russia and Syria signed in August 2015. At the end of 2017, Russia said it had decided to turn the Khmeimim base into a component of its permanent military contingent stationed in Syria.

References

  1. ↑ Charpentreau, Clément (27 November 2024). "US tightens security at UK bases after drone sightings". www.aerotime.aero. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Grierson, Jamie (23 November 2024). "Unidentified drones spotted over three UK airbases, US air force confirms". The Guardian.
  3. 1 2 "US airbase drone operators will be prosecuted, says government". www.bbc.com.
  4. 1 2 Doyle, Liam (23 November 2024). "'Unidentified drones' caught flying over RAF base where US wants to keep nukes". The Mirror.
  5. ↑ "Drone incursions over USAF bases in England continue". Yahoo News. 25 November 2024.
  6. ↑ Sheridan, Danielle; McArdle, Tom (26 November 2024). "British troops deployed to protect US air bases in UK from drone attacks". The Telegraph.
  7. 1 2 Vincent, Brandi (26 November 2024). "US, UK jointly tracking mysterious drone incursions near England military bases". DefenseScoop.
  8. ↑ "British forces deployed after drones spotted again over three US air bases in UK". Sky News.
  9. ↑ "Unauthorised drones continue to plague U.S. Air Force bases in the UK". The Aviationist. 27 November 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Mystery drones seen over three US air bases in East Anglia". www.bbc.com.
  11. ↑ "Why are drones flying near US airbases in Suffolk and Norfolk?". www.bbc.com.
  12. ↑ "BOMBER TASK FORCE EUROPE: STRATEGIC BOMBERS SOAR THROUGH NATO'S EASTERN FLANK, COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL 2-MONTH ROTATION". Allied Air Command. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
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