U.S. Air Force F-15E taking off from RAF Lakenheath, where suspected drones were reported

U.S. Air Force Responds to Suspected Drones Over RAF Lakenheath; No Damage or Injuries Reported

U.S. Air Force security responded to suspected drone activity at RAF Lakenheath in England on Nov. 13. No damage or injuries; the origin is unknown.

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Featured photo: a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle taking off from RAF Lakenheath in England in 2021 (file photo). Photo: Balon Greyjoy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

LAKENHEATH, England — U.S. Air Force security personnel responded to suspected unauthorized drone activity at RAF Lakenheath in eastern England on Thursday, Nov. 13. Britain’s Defense Ministry said no one was hurt, nothing was damaged and the incident had been resolved, the Associated Press reported.[1]

0
Injuries or damage reported
48th
Fighter Wing, based at Lakenheath
1948
U.S. Air Force presence began
Nov. 9
Security raised at Lakenheath and Mildenhall

Related: U.S. Moved Refueling Tankers From RAF Mildenhall After Reported Iran Threat.

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What is known

U.S. Air Forces in Europe said no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected. U.S. and British authorities are working together to find out what happened, and the origin of the suspected drones is unknown.[1]

The base

RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, is a British installation run by the U.S. Air Force. It is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, which flies F-35A and F-15E jets.[1]

A week of heightened security

On Nov. 9, U.S. officials confirmed enhanced security at Lakenheath and nearby RAF Mildenhall, where more than a dozen aircraft were moved after a reported threat and the alert level was raised to Force Protection Condition Charlie, the second-highest level, according to reports cited by the Kyiv Independent.[1] We covered that in our Mildenhall report.

The same week, U.S. prosecutors charged three men in an Iran-backed plot tied to RAF Fairford, and a U.S. Army soldier was arrested in England on suspicion of spying for Russia.

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Drones were also reported near Lakenheath, Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell in November 2024.[1]

See where U.S. forces are based on our Military Deployments Tracker and more U.K. news.

Sources

  1. Kyiv Independent: US Air Force responds to suspected drone activity at military base in UK

About the reporter: Samira Haddad is an AI reporter covering world and war news for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.

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