USAupdated 17m ago2 min read
US Relocates Tanker Aircraft From RAF Mildenhall After Iran Threat Report
18outlets comparedWhere the coverage agrees
7 Western Mainstream5 West Asian4 Other2 Other source typesThis article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Two refuelling tankers at RAF Mildenhall diverted to Germany amid Iranian threat. Additional Mildenhall tankers and other aircraft relocated to Europe, including Prestwick.
Save coverage image
Mildenhall aircraft moved
The United States relocated tanker aircraft from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on Monday after the Wall Street Journal reported a threat from Iran, with two fuel tanker aircraft sent to Germany and other tanker aircraft relocated to other bases in Europe later that same day.
At least 10 US Air Force refuelling aircraft left RAF Mildenhall and landed at other American bases in Europe and also at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, while the BBC said it had not independently verified the WSJ account of an Iranian threat.
A US European Command spokesman told the Associated Press that the service rotates its aircraft among locations “for various reasons, including training and real-world needs,” and he added, “For operational security reasons, we will not provide further information about the movement of assets.” Flight tracking data showed USAF KC-135 tankers leaving Mildenhall throughout Monday, including two aircraft that initially flew to US bases in Germany and Italy, with one returning to Mildenhall before heading east to Spangdahlem airbase in Germany and the other flying on from circuits over Aviano airbase in Italy to Spangdahlem.
Officials and threat level
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the BBC, “We do not routinely comment on the activity of other nations. Aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements.”
Lord Ricketts said, “We are talking about an airbase which houses these large tanker aircraft,” and he added that “Nobody knows at this stage what this information was.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that US officials upgraded security posture at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath to Force Protection Condition (FPCON) Charlie, and the BBC said FPCON Charlie occurs when intelligence indicates a form of terrorist action is likely.
Marco Rubio told reporters that the United States addressed Iranian threats against American diplomats overseas by moving people away from the threat, saying, “We’ve addressed it by moving people away from the threat,” and he added, “we’re always worried about the safety and security of our personnel and their families overseas.”
Context from RAF Fairford
Monday’s departures from RAF Mildenhall came weeks after the US withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire over a suspected Iran-linked security incident. A major incident was declared at RAF Fairford after three suspicious vans were seen near the base in September, and two British nationals appeared in court in October in connection with an alleged Iran-linked plot.
Nine air refuelling tankers were relocated from RAF Mildenhall to other bases in the UK, Germany and Spain on Monday, and three Osprey helicopters were moved to RAF Lakenheath. The US Air Force spokesperson stated, “US military aircraft are hosted in accordance with access, basing, and overflight agreements with our allies and partners,” and he added, “Due to operations security, we will not provide further information on movement of assets.”