Information
The United States Air Force (USAF) reported sightings of small, unidentified drones over three airbases in the United Kingdom—RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell—between November 20 and 22. The incidents, which occurred in eastern England, involved small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) that were monitored by base officials. While the drones did not appear to cause any harm to residents or critical infrastructure, their intent remains unclear. The USAF has stated that operational security measures are in place to protect personnel and assets, and they are collaborating with local authorities to ensure safety. RAF Lakenheath, Mildenhall, and Feltwell are significant for housing key USAF units, including the 48th Fighter Wing and the 100th Air Refueling Wing.
The drone sightings coincided with significant geopolitical developments, including Ukraine’s use of intermediate-range missiles supplied by the US and UK to strike targets in Russia. This prompted retaliatory missile strikes by Russia against Ukraine and comments from President Vladimir Putin, who warned of potential strikes against nations supplying weapons used against Russia. The timing of the drone activity over the UK airbases has raised questions, though no direct link to these international events has been confirmed. The USAF continues to monitor airspace and coordinate with partners to address such incursions.
Source: dpa, AP
So what
In normal circumstances, it would be unlikely that these drones were anything more than hobbyists looking at the airfield, and while this is still a possibility, it is also likely that the drones were being used to collect information. The information could be anything from the location of certain aircraft, the movement of supplies into Europe and general layouts of the camps. If the drones are collecting information for a hostile state, it is possible that we will see an increase in grey zone activity against the bases and the troops based there.
Follow us to join the intelligence community!
For this story and more, check out “The Intel Brief” podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!