According to the Wall Street Journal and the Guardian, the US has moved ten KC-135 air tankers from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk to bases in Germany, Spain and Scotland. Osprey transport aircraft were reportedly sent to nearby RAF Lakenheath. The move was reportedly a response to a threat from Iran.
A US official said both bases were raised to FPCON Charlie on Monday. That is the second-highest US threat level, used when intelligence indicates terrorist action is likely. British sources said there was no immediate or direct danger to the base or the local area. The UK government says British bases remain safe.
This is the second hasty US redeployment in the UK in weeks. B-1 bombers were pulled from RAF Fairford in October after a suspected Iran-linked plot in September. Two men have since been charged with assisting Iranian intelligence. Since Iran hit five KC-135s on the ground in Saudi Arabia in March, the Pentagon has reportedly been risk averse about threats to parked aircraft. UK officials reportedly assess that Iran lacks the capability to launch an explosive attack on a UK base.
Source: The Guardian, Wall Street Journal
So What
Iran likely did something that spooked the US into dispersing its aircraft. It is possible Tehran was testing how fast Washington moves its assets and what that reveals. The IRGC has called these bases legitimate targets and Trump is weighing renewed strikes. With tensions this high, more incidents like this are likely.
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