Move comes weeks after Washington withdrew bombers from RAF Fairford after a suspected security incident
Several US military aircraft were evacuated from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on Monday, after the US Air Force concluded they could be at risk from a possible Iranian threat if they remained at the British base.
Ten air tankers were relocated to bases in Germany, Spain and Scotland, while Osprey transport aircraft were sent to nearby RAF Lakenheath. It is the second time the US has undertaken a hasty redeployment in the UK with some of its bombers pulled from RAF Fairford in October.
The latest incident was said to be in response to a threat from Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal, although British sources emphasised there was no immediate or direct danger to the base or the area nearby.
Washington withdrew B-1 bombers from the Fairford base just over a month ago – a week after a suspected Iran-linked security incident in September. Two men have been charged with espionage offences on behalf of Iran after the episode.
The precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall remains under discussion among US officials, and the Pentagon has chosen to take a risk averse approach when it receives threats to planes on the ground after the first phase of the Iran war in the spring.
Five KC-135 Stratotankers, the same refuelling aircraft moved out of Mildenhall, were hit on the ground by an Iranian missile in Saudi Arabia in March, and the US is concerned about how well planes are protected on the ground.
UK security officials however believe that Iran does not have the capability to launch an explosive attack on a base in the UK, although Tehran may threaten to do so in an attempt to disrupt American military calculations.
Donald Trump, the US president, is considering whether to renew the bombing of Iran, although overnight he said further attacks were “highly unlikely” in the aftermath of last week’s midterm elections, when his Republican party was heavily defeated. Trump allies, including the vice-president, JD Vance, blamed the war for the poor results.
Luke Pollard, a British junior defence minister, told a military conference in Oslo “it was a decision for the US where they place their military assets” and that the UK was “investing more” in counter-drone capabilities and base protection.
Local residents are being advised to remain vigilant in case of any untoward developments in the vicinity of Mildenhall or other bases used by the US air force in the UK, though it was not said they faced any heightened risk.
However, the US had reportedly upgraded the security threat level at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath on Monday,according to a US official familiar with the matter.
The base was placed under Force Protection Condition (FPCON) Charlie, which is the second-highest defensive threat level in the US Department of Defense’s security system and occurs when intelligence indicates a form of terrorist action is likely.
A US Air Force spokesperson said: “US Air Force aircraft rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons, including training and real world requirements. US military aircraft are hosted in accordance with access, basing, and overflight agreements with our allies and partners. Due to operations security, we will not provide further information on movement of assets.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We do not routinely comment on the activity of other nations. Aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements.”
Five men driving three white vans were arrested at a village outside RAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire shortly after midnight on 27 September over a suspected plot to attack the base. Although a bomb warning had been made, no explosives were found in the search and the men were released on bail.
A month later two men were charged with assisting Iranian intelligence in the relation to the incident under the National Security Act 2023, Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, 24. Essghir was one of the five who was initially arrested near the airbase, while Abdulkarim is accused of buying the vans.
While Tehran’s ambassador to Britain has denied accusations it was involved in any plot against the airbase, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that Fairford and any other bases used to launch attacks against Iran were legitimate targets.
