LONDON — Unauthorized drone activity triggered a security response at a U.S. military base in Britain on Friday, according to the U.S. military.
Security forces at Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath in eastern England responded after suspected unauthorized drones were reported in the area. No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected, the U.S. Air Force in Europe said in a statement.
“We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, U.S. and host nation civilians, contractors, and all of our families,” the statement said.
The incident at RAF Lakenheath marks the third threat to affect a U.S. base in the United Kingdom in recent weeks. The security response came just days after the U.S. relocated more than a dozen aircraft from RAF Mildenhall, another base only a few miles away in eastern England, citing a threat.
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During the aircraft transfer, RAF Mildenhall also raised its alert status to FPCON Charlie. The designation is the second-highest security level and is used when an incident occurs or intelligence suggests that terrorist action targeting personnel or facilities is likely.
A U.S. official said at the time that moving the aircraft was a precautionary measure rather than a response to an active attack.
Several weeks earlier, British authorities detained a group of men after spotting three suspicious vans traveling toward RAF Fairford, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of Mildenhall and Lakenheath. Authorities in Britain linked the alleged plot to Iran, prompting the U.S. to withdraw bombers stationed at the base.
The British-owned facility has hosted U.S. bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East, including the Iran war. Additional arrests followed, and at least three men have been charged with plotting an attack on RAF Fairford.
Separately, a U.S. Army officer assigned to a NATO unit at a military base near Gloucester, England, was arrested this week on suspicion of spying for Russia. Police said that case was unrelated to other counterterrorism investigations, indicating no connection to the suspected Iran-linked plot involving RAF Fairford, which is also near Gloucester.
