Two US refuelling tankers diverted from RAF Mildenhall to Germany on Monday morning, according to the Wall Street Journal. Several other tankers at the base moved to Germany and other locations later that day. Washington had already withdrawn its bombers from RAF Fairford in September following a suspected Iran-linked security incident. The precise nature of the current threat remained under discussion among US officials, though no specific ground-level threat or arrests were reported at Mildenhall.
Evacuation details and security levels
The US upgraded the security threat level at both RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, citing a US official familiar with the matter. The base was placed under Force Protection Condition Charlie, which is the second-highest defensive threat level in the Department of Defense system. This condition occurs when intelligence indicates a form of terrorist action is likely. A US Air Force spokesperson stated that aircraft rotate between installations for training and real-world requirements, refusing to provide further information on asset movement due to operations security. The Ministry of Defence said it does not routinely comment on the activity of other nations, noting that assets move regularly according to operational requirements. Cabinet minister Lucy Powell told Sky News she could not comment on live operations but added, "we’re constantly keeping the security of our bases under review and, as we’ve seen with other cases recently, we take firm and quick action where we need to."
Context from previous incidents
Five men were arrested outside RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in September over a suspected plot to attack the base. Two men, Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, who were not among those initially arrested, later appeared in court charged under the National Security Act 2023. Police believed the foreign intelligence service involved was Iran. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month that the activity at Fairford was likely coordinated in Iran. Tehran’s ambassador denied involvement in any plot against the airbase. However, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that Fairford and any other bases used to launch attacks against Iran were legitimate targets. The general nature of the threat suggests a broader strategic caution rather than an immediate local danger.
