US Air Force responds to suspected drone activity over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk

What happened

On Friday evening, 13 November 2026, US forces responded to what the US Air Force called "suspected unauthorised drone activity" over RAF Lakenheath, an airbase in Suffolk, eastern England, that is used exclusively by the US military. A spokesperson said no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected. The number of drones, where they came from and how the response was carried out have not been disclosed, and no one has been named as responsible. Unconfirmed reports said sirens sounded at the base, and residents of a nearby village said they heard alarms. The force's spokesperson added that it continues to work with host nation counterparts on safety and security.

“Protecting our shared community is a joint responsibility, and we encourage everyone to support this effort by reporting any unusual or suspicious activity to local authorities.”

Aircraft moved from Mildenhall

In the week of 9 November, more than a dozen US Air Force aircraft, including air-to-air refuelling tankers, were moved from RAF Mildenhall, a base about a 10-minute drive from Lakenheath, to other European bases as a precaution. Reports differ on the exact count, with one giving at least 12 aircraft and another at least 13. The move followed a threat that was not specified in the reporting. US intelligence sources reportedly spoke of a renewed "credible threat" of terrorist activity against American airbases in the UK, and that threat was linked in reporting to an alleged plot by Iranian operatives in September to target RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. In September, an incident was declared at Fairford after three suspicious vans were seen approaching the site, and the US had withdrawn its bombers from there weeks before the Mildenhall move.

Iran link and base security

RAF Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, whose F-15 and F-35 jets have reportedly flown missions over Iran from US installations in the Middle East. Two US military armoured vehicles were posted at the main entrance amid intensified searches and security checks. On Monday, 9 November, the US Air Force posted on Facebook asking residents to report suspicious drone activity and to watch for people operating drones in the Suffolk countryside. Reports link the threat to Iran, but no official confirmation ties the drones to Tehran. Iran has said it considers the British bases legitimate targets, because the US uses them to launch jets for strikes on Iran, though then prime minister Keir Starmer had stipulated that such action must only be defensive.

Political reaction

Nick Timothy, the Conservative MP for West Suffolk, wrote on Facebook that he had contacted the base authorities after speculation about the alarm, but he did not say what had happened. He wrote that he had been told there is no threat to the public.

“I am told there is no threat to the public, and the incident is now resolved.”

One mother commenting under his post said her daughter was still stuck on the base, but the base status has not been confirmed. On Thursday, 12 November, defence minister Luke Pollard told a parliamentary debate that protection had been strengthened across the military estate, including sites hosting US visiting forces, and that enhanced vigilance remained in place. Frank Ledwidge, a former military intelligence officer who is associate professor in strategy and law at Portsmouth University, described the moved aircraft as very vulnerable and said Britain must take the security of its US allies far more seriously. He said:

“This is a third example in less than two years of bases being penetrated, or becoming close to being penetrated, by hostile forces.”

Unanswered questions

The Ministry of Defence did not respond to repeated requests for comment, one report said. A US European Command spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officials were taking "all measures" to protect the base installations, service members and aircraft on site. The source of the drones, the number of aircraft involved and whoever operated them remain unknown. Officials have so far confirmed only the security response and the absence of damage.