US Air Force security forces responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on Friday, prompting a temporary shelter-in-place order for personnel at the base.
A spokesperson for the US Air Force told Sky News that security forces had responded to “suspected unauthorised drone activity” over the base, and that no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected. The spokesperson said the US Air Force continues to work closely with “host nation counterparts” — the UK — to ensure the safety of US service members, civilian contractors and their families.
Sky News reported it had seen a copy of the alert sent to personnel instructing them to shelter in place. The message was headed, in capital letters and in red, with the words “REAL WORLD”, and told staff to “seek the nearest shelter-in-place room”.
Nick Timothy, the local MP, said on social media that he had been in contact with the authorities and that “there is no threat to the public and the incident is now resolved”.
The origin of the drones has not been disclosed, and as of now there has been no official statement identifying who may have been operating them.
Part of a wider pattern
The incident follows the evacuation on Monday of more than a dozen US warplanes from RAF Mildenhall, another Suffolk base, amid reports of a security threat linked to Iran. RAF Mildenhall sits close to RAF Lakenheath.
It is the latest in a series of security episodes at British bases hosting American forces. These have included a reported plot by Iranian operatives to target RAF bases, including RAF Fairford, and a separate incident in which several American air tankers were abruptly relocated from RAF Mildenhall over a possible Iran-linked threat.
Unlike those earlier incidents, there is as yet no evidence linking the drone activity at RAF Lakenheath to Iran or any other specific actor. The base has since returned to normal operations.
