Both countries acknowledged that unidentified drones were seen in the skies last week over three British air bases where the US Air Force operates, but did not elaborate on who sent the airborne devices.
The drones appeared at different times between Wednesday and Saturday, hovering over the Royal Air Force bases Mildenhall, Feltwell and Lakenheath in eastern England, all of which are occupied by US forces. It is used for Air Force missions.
“The number[of unmanned aircraft systems]varied, and they varied in size and configuration,” a spokesperson for US Air Forces in Europe told the magazine.
“Base leadership has determined that none of the incursions affected the base population or critical infrastructure,” he added, without indicating whether they interpreted any malicious intent.
“We take the threat seriously and maintain robust measures at our defense sites,” a British Ministry of Defense official said, adding that these included “counter-drone security capabilities”. .
It is not clear whether the unmanned system was hostile.
Despite the questions raised by these incidents, both countries have declined to comment further.
But the sighting followed an October Wall Street Journal report that said dozens of similar devices were seen flying over military bases in Virginia and Nevada last October. .
Some officials suspect that Russian or Chinese operatives deployed the drones to spy on U.S. military assets.
However, given the security risks to civilians, the military cannot shoot them down for mere peeping.
The base at Mildenhall is home to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, the only permanent US military air wing in Europe that conducts aerial refueling operations.
Lakenheath is home to the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing, a cornerstone of combat capability in Europe known for its combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11.
Feltwells are primarily used for logistics and military housing.
