Newly released police records and video footage challenge the official narrative regarding a near miss between a British police helicopter and an unidentified flying object over a U.S. airbase last year. Authorities had previously dismissed the incident as just another routine fighter jet sighting.
According to a recent report, the flight, obtained through the UK’s Freedom of Information Act, occurred on November 22, 2024. It led the National Police Air Service (NPAS) EC135 helicopter to take emergency evasive measures following reports of two fast-moving aircraft “targeting” and pursuing it over RAF Lakenheath, a prominent U.S. military facility in Suffolk.
During this encounter, pilots noted that the object maintained a speed of about 165 knots (191 mph) for several minutes before vanishing from sight, prompting a quick dive to avoid a potential collision.
Nick Pope, a former UFO investigator for the British Ministry of Defence, remarked that this incident illustrates how unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) have shifted from being mere curiosities to real concerns for defense and aviation safety.
Pope stresses that labeling such incidents simply as “drones” may obscure more complex realities at play. “The term ‘drone’ has become a convenient catch-all for things we can’t explain,” he said. “It’s unclear what we’re actually dealing with.”
The NPAS crew characterized the encounter as an “unprovoked pursuit” while patrolling near the base shortly after 10 p.m. Their records indicate they had to execute an emergency dive, and during this action, they felt they were being tracked by two drones keeping pace with them.
Additional police reports from around the same time noted approximately 20 drone sightings at various U.S. airbases, including RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall. Some reports mentioned “10 to 15 drones” possibly entering the base’s airspace.
A witness using night vision goggles claimed to have observed “five or six drones” near a local highway, while another described seeing “large, stationary objects.” A British military official who reviewed a 30-minute infrared video of the incident remarked that the footage revealed the drone “mirroring the helicopter’s movements,” performing maneuvers not possible for an F-15 fighter jet.
Despite various sightings and reports, the British Air Prox Committee concluded that the crew had misidentified the lights of an F-15 nearby. Their analysis indicated that radar data showed the helicopter and jet were within 1,700 feet of each other.
Frustration over official silence is palpable. Retired detective Mike Morgan expressed discontent with authorities regarding unanswered questions surrounding the November 2024 incident. He stated, “There are numerous uncertainties, and authorities have repeatedly avoided providing straightforward answers.” Meanwhile, meteorologist Stuart Onyiche believes both the fighter jet and helicopter were responding to unmanned systems in the vicinity.
The incident aligns with a larger wave of drone sightings near U.S. military facilities, adding to ongoing concerns. Reports have suggested that detection and jamming systems have “failed” to prevent advanced drone incursions.
Pope cautioned that the ongoing lack of transparency regarding these incidents indicates a growing risk to aviation safety, emphasizing the need for enhanced reporting and coordination among authorities.
