Global Politicsupdated 46m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 15 April 2017US Air Force Responds to Suspected Unauthorized Drones Over RAF Lakenheath
6 Western Mainstream1 Israeli1 West AsianPhoto: US Air Force from USA Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew/48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
US Air Force responded to suspected unauthorized drone activity over RAF Lakenheath Friday evening. No personnel, aircraft, or infrastructure were affected.
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8 outlets in this story. Read their headlines below.
Drone reports at Lakenheath
The US Air Force said it responded to "suspected unauthorised drone activity" over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on Friday evening, and it said no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected. The Ministry of Defence said it was "coordinating with all relevant parties" and that USAF security personnel responded to the reports and the situation was resolved.
The BBC said West Suffolk MP Nick Timothy was told "there is no threat to the public, and the incident is now resolved," after he contacted authorities at the base. The Reuters account said US Air Force personnel at RAF Lakenheath responded on Friday evening, and it quoted a US Air Force spokesperson saying the same that no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected.
Context of Iran-linked threats
The France 24 account tied the Lakenheath drone incident to earlier security steps after the US Justice Department announced charges against three men it described as "Iranian operatives" over their role in an alleged terrorist plot at RAF Fairford. The Reuters account said the US moved bombers that had been used to strike Iran out of Britain and relocated huge refuelling aircraft from Britain to Germany, and it linked those moves to a later report of a threat from Iran.
The New York Post account said the drone incident came just days after the US moved more than a dozen aircraft from RAF Mildenhall because of a threat, and it said RAF Mildenhall raised its alert level to FPCON Charlie. The BBC account said heightened security activity followed an incident at RAF Fairford in September that Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Iran played a part in, and it said the US removed all of its bombers from the base in October.
What happens next
The Reuters account said Britain’s Ministry of Defence told Reuters that USAF Security Forces personnel had responded to reports of unauthorised drone activity and that the situation had been resolved.
The BBC account said the Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the BBC it was "working closely with them to establish the facts," and it said updates would follow.
The i Paper account said Downing Street insisted earlier this week that British air bases are safe and their security is a "top priority" after US aircraft were moved from nearby RAF Mildenhall.
The Newsweek account said the incident came amid heightened security at U.S. military installations in Britain following reports of Iranian threats against American assets, and it said the U.S. Air Force had not publicly identified a suspect or provided further details about the response.