US Air Force security personnel have responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity at a UK air base, officials said, with no reported impact on personnel, aircraft or infrastructure.
A US Air Force spokesperson said the response had been carried out after “suspected unauthorised drone activity” was detected. The circumstances were not disclosed.
“We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, US and host nation civilians, contractors, and all of our families,” the spokesperson said.
The Ministry of Defence said US Air Force Security Forces had dealt with reports of unauthorised drone activity and that the situation had been resolved.
“We are working closely with them to establish the facts. We will provide updates in due course,” an MoD spokesperson said.
Security concerns around RAF Fairford
The incident comes after the US moved bombers used in strikes on Iran out of Britain and transferred large refuelling aircraft from the UK to Germany. A subsequent report said the moves followed a threat from Iran.
The bombers had been based at RAF Fairford before leaving on security grounds after a group of men approached the site in white vans during the early hours of September 27.
Two men were charged last month in connection with that incident. Prosecutors allege that one of them attempted to assist Iranian intelligence in Britain.
The US Justice Department said this week that a member of an Iran-backed militia had plotted to attack RAF Fairford while being held in the United States on criminal charges.
Britain’s domestic spy chief said in October that Iran had increased efforts to target harder-to-reach sites, including military locations in Britain.
Tehran has denied involvement in the Fairford incident and rejected other accusations of malign activity in Britain, where authorities have for several years accused it of involvement in plots and attempted assassinations targeting dissidents and Israeli and Jewish interests.
