On a Friday night in Suffolk, sirens at RAF Lakenheath marked a moment that sits uneasily between alarm and reassurance: a suspected unauthorised drone, an American base that holds thousands of people, and two governments agreeing that the matter is over while still not knowing what it was. The wider picture is one of unease that has been building across the American-used airbases of Britain, where earlier evacuations and alleged plots have drawn them into a shadow of threats that may or may not be connected. For now the facts remain unsettled, and the people who live near these gates are left
US Air Force responds to suspected unauthorised drone activity at RAF Lakenheath
What flew over the base, and who sent it, had not been established
Mark
Start with what actually happened. What do we know?
Mimi
Sirens sounded at RAF Lakenheath on Friday night, and the US Air Force says it responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity. Nothing and no one was affected, by its account.
Luke
Note the word suspected. Nobody has said how many drones, where they were, or what they were doing. The MoD itself says it is still working to establish the facts.
Mark
The MoD also says it's resolved. How does that square?
Mimi
Resolved refers to the response: security forces dealt with the reports. It doesn't mean the cause is understood.
Luke
Right, and the no-threat-to-the-public line from MP Nick Timothy is what base authorities told him. It's relayed, not independently verified.
Mark
Why does this one land differently from an ordinary drone sighting?
Mimi
The context. Lakenheath has been on Charlie alert since September, the second-highest level, and it hosts almost 7,000 active-duty personnel.
Mark
And the other bases?
Mimi
Planes were evacuated from Mildenhall and Fairford over suspected attacks allegedly linked to Iran, and this week at least 12 aircraft left Mildenhall.
Luke
Careful, though. Nothing in the reporting ties Friday's drone activity to Iran or to those evacuations. The links are alleged for the earlier cases, and for this one there is simply no attribution yet.
Mimi
Fair. The thing to watch is the MoD's promised update.
O Pulso
- Sirens sounded at RAF Lakenheath on Friday night as suspected unauthorised drone activity brought US security forces onto alert.
- The US Air Force says no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were harmed, yet the UK Ministry of Defence has not yet established what flew near the base or who sent it.
- The base has been on Charlie alert since September, and local residents have been urged to report anything suspicious.
- Following evacuations at Mildenhall and Fairford over suspected Iran-linked threats, the question now is whether this incident will prompt a wider review of base security.
- The MoD has promised updates in due course, and the situation is officially described as resolved while the facts remain open.
On a Friday night in Suffolk, sirens at RAF Lakenheath marked a moment that sits uneasily between alarm and reassurance: a suspected unauthorised drone, an American base that holds thousands of people, and two governments agreeing that the matter is over while still not knowing what it was. The wider picture is one of unease that has been building across the American-used airbases of Britain, where earlier evacuations and alleged plots have drawn them into a shadow of threats that may or may not be connected. For now the facts remain unsettled, and the people who live near these gates are left to weigh official calm against the memory of what has happened nearby.
On Friday night, sirens sounded at RAF Lakenheath, the Suffolk airbase that hosts the largest US fighter operation in Europe. The US Air Force later described what it called suspected unauthorised drone activity, saying briefly that no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure had been affected.
The UK Ministry of Defence said it was working closely with the Americans and that the situation was now resolved, but it had not yet established what had flown near the base or who was responsible. Updates were promised in due course.
Local MP Nick Timothy said base authorities had assured him there was no threat to the public. He nonetheless urged residents to report anything out of the ordinary, pointing to the base's Charlie alert status, the second-highest US threat level, in place since September.
The incident comes after a run of security events at American-used bases in Britain, including evacuations at Mildenhall and Fairford linked to suspected Iran-related threats. Whether the MoD's promised update clarifies the drone activity, and whether it leads to a wider look at base security, remains to be seen.
On Friday night, sirens sounded at RAF Lakenheath, the Suffolk airbase that serves as the largest US fighter operation in Europe. The US Air Force later said it had responded to what it called suspected unauthorised drone activity there. Its account was brief: no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected.
The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed it was coordinating with all relevant parties over reports of unauthorised drone activity at the base that evening. A spokesperson said US Air Force security forces personnel had responded and that the situation was now resolved. The ministry added that it was working closely with the Americans to establish the facts, and promised updates in due course. In other words, what actually flew over or near the base, and who was behind it, had not been established when the statements were issued.
The USAF said it continues to work closely with its host nation counterparts to protect US service members, US and host nation civilians, contractors and their families. It described protecting the shared community as a joint responsibility and urged anyone who sees unusual or suspicious activity to report it to local authorities.
The local MP for West Suffolk, Nick Timothy, said base authorities had told him there was no threat to the public and that the incident was resolved. He pointed to the raised threat level in urging people to report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. That level is real: in September, RAF Lakenheath said it was on Charlie alert, the second-highest threat level the US department of defense can issue.
Lakenheath is home to the 48th fighter wing, known as the Liberty wing. According to the official base website, it has almost 7,000 active-duty personnel.
The incident arrives after a run of security events at American-used bases in Britain. Earlier this year, police investigated an alleged terror plot at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and a trespass incident at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. In the past two months, the US has evacuated planes from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and from Fairford in response to suspected attacks on the bases that were allegedly linked to Iran. Donald Trump said in October that "some threats" had led the US to pull its bombers from Fairford.
In the Fairford case, police said searches of vans near the base found petrol but no explosives. The Crown Prosecution Service charged two men over their alleged involvement.
Movements this week at nearby RAF Mildenhall added to the picture. At least 12 USAF aircraft departed, among them two Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft. One was headed toward Germany; another was seen landing at Prestwick airport near Glasgow. Earlier in the week, Downing Street insisted that British airbases are safe and that their security is a top priority.
What to watch now is the Ministry of Defence's promised update: whether it identifies what the drone activity was, and whether it prompts any wider look at security at the bases.
Citações Notáveis
USAF security forces personnel responded to the reports and the situation is now resolved. We are working closely with them to establish the facts.— UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson
There is no threat to the public, and the incident is now resolved, base authorities told him.— Nick Timothy, MP for West Suffolk (relaying base authorities)
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Leia o original em The Guardian ↗