Sirens Sound at U.S. Air Force Base in England Over Suspected Drone

The U.S. Air Force said it responded to suspected unauthorized drone activity at RAF Lakenheath, an airbase in eastern England, on Friday night. The service said no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected, according to The Guardian.

Britain's Ministry of Defence said the situation was resolved but that officials were still working to establish the facts. Sirens were heard at the base in Suffolk, The Guardian reported.

What officials said about the incident

The Air Force said it was working closely with British counterparts to keep service members, civilians, contractors and families safe. It asked people to report unusual or suspicious activity to local authorities, describing the protection of the shared community as a joint responsibility.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the department was coordinating with all relevant parties over the reports. U.S. Air Force security personnel responded, the spokesperson said, and further updates would come in due course.

Nick Timothy, the member of Parliament for West Suffolk, said base authorities told him there was no threat to the public and that the incident was over. He urged residents to report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, citing the raised threat level.

Why the base is on alert

RAF Lakenheath is one of several airbases in Britain used by the U.S. military. It is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, known as the Liberty Wing, and has almost 7,000 active-duty personnel, according to the base's official website. That makes it the largest U.S. fighter operation in Europe, the site says.

In September, the base said it was on “Charlie alert,” the second-highest threat level the U.S. Department of Defense can issue. The Guardian noted that the drone report follows other security episodes at American-used bases in Britain this year.

Police investigated an alleged terror plot at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
A trespass incident was reported at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire.
Police said they found petrol but no explosives during searches of vans near the Gloucestershire base, and the Crown Prosecution Service charged two men over their alleged involvement.

Over the past two months, the United States has also evacuated planes from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Fairford in response to suspected attacks on the bases that were allegedly linked to Iran, according to The Guardian. President Donald Trump said in October that “some threats” led the U.S. to pull its bombers from Fairford.

What this means for people nearby

For residents of the area, the immediate message from officials was reassurance combined with a request for vigilance. Both the Air Force and the local lawmaker said there was no threat to the public once the incident was resolved, while asking people to pass on anything unusual to the authorities.

The wider picture is one of heightened security around American military sites in Britain. Earlier this week, at least 12 U.S. Air Force aircraft left the nearby RAF Mildenhall base, including two Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft. One was headed toward Germany and the other was seen landing at Prestwick airport near Glasgow, The Guardian reported.

Downing Street insisted earlier this week that British airbases are safe and that their security is a “top priority.”

What happens next

The Ministry of Defence has not said who may have been operating the drone or where it came from. It said it is working with U.S. forces to establish the facts and will provide updates in due course.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Guardian

Cover photo: John Fielding from Norwich, UK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped

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