Drones spotted near 4 bases used by US Air Force in England

Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, with updates throughout about another base involved.

LONDON — The U.S. Air Force said Tuesday that a number of small drones have been detected near four bases in England that are used by American forces.

The flights, which began Nov. 20, were spotted over or near RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell in eastern England as well as RAF Fairford in southwestern England. The drones were actively monitored.

The Air Force hasn’t identified who is believed to be behind the incursions. Unspecified mitigation measures are underway.

“The number of systems has fluctuated, and they have ranged in sizes and configurations,” U.S. Air Forces Europe said in a statement. “Our units continue to monitor the airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets.″

Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, which the U.S. Air Force describes as the foundation of its combat capability in Europe. Mildenhall hosts the 100th Air Refueling Wing, and Feltwell is a hub for housing, schools and other services. Fairford is home to the 501st Combat Support Wing Headquarters and the 420th Air Base Squadron.

“To date, installation leaders have determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets,″ the Air Force said. “The Air Force is taking all appropriate measures to safeguard the aforementioned installations and their residents.″

While it is unclear whether the drones had hostile intent, the incidents came during a week that saw the most significant escalation of hostilities in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.

For the first time, Ukraine struck targets inside Russia with long-range missiles supplied by the U.S. and Britain after President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized use of the weapons .

In response, Russia launched a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin said his country had the right to strike nations that allow their weapons to be used against Russia.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said “we take threats seriously and maintain robust measures” at military installations.

“This includes counter drone security capabilities. We won’t comment further on security procedures,” it said.

编者按：本文于 2024 年 11 月 26 日星期二进行了更新，其中补充了有关另一基地的最新消息。

伦敦——美国空军周二表示，在英格兰的四个美军基地附近发现了多架小型无人机。

这些无人机飞行活动始于11月20日，被发现出现在英格兰东部的莱肯希思皇家空军基地、米尔登霍尔皇家空军基地和费尔特韦尔皇家空军基地上空或附近，以及英格兰西南部的费尔福德皇家空军基地附近。这些无人机受到了严密监控。

空军尚未确定入侵事件的幕后黑手。目前正在采取一些未公开的应对措施。

美国驻欧洲空军在一份声明中表示：“系统数量有所波动，而且尺寸和配置各不相同。我们的部队将继续监控空域，并与东道国当局和任务伙伴合作，以确保基地人员、设施和资产的安全。”

莱肯希思是美国空军第48战斗机联队的驻地，该联队被美国空军誉为欧洲作战能力的基石。米尔登霍尔是美国空军第100空中加油联队的驻地，费尔特韦尔则是住房、学校和其他服务的中心。费尔福德是美国空军第501战斗支援联队司令部和第420空军基地中队的驻地。

空军表示：“迄今为止，各基地领导已确认，所有入侵事件均未对基地居民、设施或资产造成影响。空军正在采取一切适当措施，保障上述基地及其居民的安全。”

虽然尚不清楚这些无人机是否具有敌对意图，但这些事件发生在乌克兰自近三年前俄罗斯全面入侵以来敌对行动最严重的一周内。

在美国总统乔·拜登和英国首相基尔·斯塔默授权使用远程导弹后，乌克兰首次使用美国和英国提供的远程导弹袭击了俄罗斯境内的目标。

作为回应，俄罗斯向乌克兰发射了一枚新的中程弹道导弹，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京表示，俄罗斯有权打击允许其武器被用于攻击俄罗斯的国家。

英国国防部表示，“我们认真对待威胁，并在军事设施中保持强有力的措施”。

声明称：“这包括反无人机安全能力。我们不会就安全程序作进一步评论。”