The U.S. Because of a threat, U.S. officials told The Associated Press, air Force has relocated aircraft from a base in eastern England.
The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the evacuation, said that the threat related to Iran. The report cited “people familiar with the matter. That applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating that some form of terrorist action targeting personnel or facilities is likely. The official didn’t elaborate on the nature and source of the threat. U.S. The U.K.
The Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity, said that it spotted 13 U.S. aircraft stationed at RAF Mildenhall departing for bases in Scotland, Spain and Germany. Earlier reporting noted: Sky News said Tuesday that 12 aircraft — nine tankers and three Osprey transporters — left Mildenhall on Monday, citing flight tracking sources.
Some of the aircraft that were relocated were permanently based at RAF Mildenhall, while others were there on rotation and included a combination of Osprey aircraft and midair refueling tankers, the Military Air Tracking Alliance said. The base also raised its alert level to FPCON Charlie — the second highest level — the organization said. The decision to move the aircraft was proactive rather than reactive, a U.S. official said, adding that the U.S. military is agile to potential threats. Some of the planes that left were in transit while others were permanently stationed at RAF Mildenhall and they may return, the official said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States is “constantly repositioning forces around the world for a variety of reasons,” and referred questions to the Pentagon, which didn’t provide immediate confirmation. The U.K. prime minister’s office said that British air bases are safe and their security is a top priority. The office said that the U.K. is in constant communication with the U.S., sharing intelligence and assessing threats together. Defense Ministry said in a statement that it doesn’t comment on the activity of other nations and said aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements. Earlier reporting noted: A British defence ministry spokesman told AFP: “We do not routinely comment on the activity of other nations.
Earlier reporting noted: A number of American refuelling tankers were evacuated on Monday from Mildenhall Royal Air Force (RAF) base in eastern England after the purported threat, the newspaper said.
