US Air Force security forces responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on Friday evening, in the latest security scare at one of Britain’s most important American military bases.
“This evening, USAF Security Forces personnel responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity over RAF Lakenheath,” a US Air Force spokesperson said. “No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected.”
Sky News reported that personnel on the base were told to shelter in place, after an alert headed “REAL WORLD” was sent around the installation. The broadcaster said an air-raid siren could be heard sounding at the base, and video footage posted online appeared to show sirens ringing out over Lakenheath on Friday evening.
Nick Timothy, the Conservative MP for West Suffolk, wrote on social media that he had been in touch with the authorities and that “there is no threat to the public and the incident is now resolved”.
The incident comes days after security was tightened at Lakenheath and at nearby RAF Mildenhall. On Monday the US military evacuated more than a dozen warplanes from Mildenhall amid reports of a security threat linked to Iran, with at least two of the aircraft moved to Lakenheath. The Wall Street Journal has reported that refuelling aircraft were moved from Britain to Germany because of the threat from Iran, and that bombers previously used to strike Iran were moved out of RAF Fairford after a group of men approached the base in white vans in the middle of the night. Two men were charged last month in connection with that incident, with prosecutors alleging one of them had tried to assist Iranian intelligence in Britain.
It is not yet known whether Friday’s activity is connected to that threat. The US Air Force statement described the activity only as “suspected” and did not say whether a drone was confirmed, how many were involved, or who may have been operating them. The British Ministry of Defence had not commented by Friday evening.
Emergency air-navigation restrictions were already in place around Lakenheath, Mildenhall and nearby RAF Feltwell before Friday’s reports. Regulations made on 9 November ban unmanned aircraft from flying below 1,200 feet within five nautical miles of all three bases. Drones were also seen over the three bases in November 2024.
RAF Lakenheath is the largest US Air Force-operated base in Britain and the home of the 48th Fighter Wing, which flies F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning II jets.
Sources: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/us-military-responds-suspected-drone-activity-raf-lakenheath-base-uk-sky-news-2026-11-13/) and Sky News (https://news.sky.com/story/us-military-responds-to-suspected-unauthorised-drone-activity-at-uk-air-base-13471276)
