US evacuates aircraft from British military base over Iran threat
WASHINGTON — The United States evacuated several military aircraft from an air base in England on Monday after the US Air Force concluded they could be at risk from a possible threat from Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Ten air tankers were relocated to bases in Germany, Spain and Scotland, while Osprey transport aircraft were sent to nearby RAF Lakenheath. .
The exact threat to the base, Royal Air Force base Mildenhall in Suffolk, remains under discussion by US officials, The WSJ reported, but British sources emphasized there was no immediate or direct danger to the base or the area nearby.
Flight tracking data analyzed by CNN shows that 10 US refueling aircraft were relocated from RAF Mildenhall on Monday. Four of those KC-135 Stratotankers went to Germany’s Spangdahlem Air Base, one to Germany’s Ramstein Air Base, four to Spain’s Morón Air Base and one to Scotland’s Glasgow Prestwick airport.
The United States also upgraded the security threat level at RAF Mildenhall and another airbase RAF Lakenheath to “FPCON Charlie,” according to The WSJ and the defense industry publication The War Zone, citing a US official on Monday. That threat level – the second-highest level in the Pentagon’s force protection system – indicates that some form of terrorist action or targeting action is likely.
“We take proactive measures to ensure our aircraft, our people, and our installations remain safe and secure,” a US official told CNN.
Another American official, from the US European Command, said that “US Air Force aircraft rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons including training and real world requirements… Due to operations security, we will not provide further information on movement of assets.”
A UK Ministry of Defense spokesperson said that they “do not routinely comment on the activity of other nations.” The spokesperson added that “aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements.”
It is the second time the US has undertaken a hasty redeployment in the UK over an Iran-linked threat, with some of its bombers pulled from RAF Fairford in October.
RAF Fairford had been used by US B-1 bombers to carry out strikes on Iran, but they were withdrawn on security grounds shortly after five men were arrested outside the base in the early hours of September 27.
British prosecutors charged two British nationals under the National Security Act in relation to the incident outside RAF Fairford airbase, with police saying the two were suspected of assisting Iran.
RAF Mildenhall has also been used as a staging area for aircraft and material bound for the Middle East.
Downing Street has insisted that UK airbases are safe following this decision by the US to move some military aircraft to locations in Europe.
The prime minister's official spokesperson said, "The protection of our bases, both in the UK and across the world, is a top priority; we work closely with the police and our allies to protect our sites".
About 3,000 military personnel are stationed at RAF Mildenhall, which is around 80 miles (130km) north of London.
The BBC reported that there is currently very little aircraft movement at the base, and there appears to be no additional security in place around it. The spaces from which the public can photograph aircraft remain open.
The base is mostly used for refuelling and maintenance operations — flights carrying US presidents, including Donald Trump, have often used it.
