An unidentified unmanned aircraft has been spotted in the skies over a joint US-British base in the UK for almost a week.
FOX News' Jennifer Griffin reports that four US military bases in the UK that house American F-15 Strike Eagle and F-35 fighter jets have been targeted by “swarms of small drones” since Wednesday, November 20th. It was reported that it is happening.
Military officials said the actions appeared to be a coordinated effort to test the safety of RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Feltwell in eastern England, and RAF Fairford in southwestern England. “We are on guard,'' he said.
The British military has deployed around 60 people to protect the base, which has been the target of multiple drone incursions.
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At least four U.K. bases housing U.S. Air Force personnel have reported multiple drone incursions in the past week. (Fox News)
A senior U.S. official told Fox that the drones do not appear to be for “hobbyists.” Witnesses said they were small quadcopters or octocopters, more powerful than commercially available ones.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said earlier Tuesday that none of these drone incursions affected base residents, facilities or U.S. assets on the base.
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“Of course, we always reserve the right to defend ourselves if we believe something is a threat,” Ryder said.
U.S. officials have not disclosed the source of the drones, but their cooperative nature suggests that Ukraine could use U.S. officials to target Russia after President Biden lifted restrictions on the use of long-range missiles. This suggests that aggressive state actors began the day after using distance ATACM.
A McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing of the 492nd Fighter Squadron (Mad Hatters) applies its air brakes at RAF Lakenheath on December 15, 2021. (John Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Shortly after, President Vladimir Putin said his country had the right to attack countries that allow them to use weapons against Russia.
The UK Ministry of Defense said it was working closely with US and local police to determine what these drones were doing and whether a foreign enemy was involved.
“The number of systems varies, and they range in size and configuration,” US Air Forces Europe said in a statement. “Our forces continue to monitor the airspace and work with host nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities, and assets.”
A US Air Force Lockheed MC-130J Commando II Hercules (STRIX44) from the 67th Special Operations Squadron (Night Owls) approaches RAF Mildenhall on October 5, 2020. (John Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The drone incursion comes a month after Fox first reported that surveillance drones had been flying near Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December. Although these drones were larger, they also posed similar challenges for base commanders.
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Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing and is the base of the U.S. Air Force's combat capabilities in Europe. Mildenhall is home to 100 Air Refueling Wing and Feltwell is a center for housing, schools and other services. Fairford is home to the 501st Combat Support Wing headquarters and the 420th Air Base Squadron.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
