US diverts KC-135 tankers from RAF Mildenhall after alleged Iran threat
At least two KC-135s were sent to Germany on 9 November as U.S. forces raised security at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath to FPCON Charlie.
U.S. Army units carried out an urgent relocation of several military tanker aircraft from an air base in the United Kingdom after warnings about a potential threat linked to Iran, officials say. At least two KC-135 Stratotankers were diverted to Germany on the morning of Monday, 9 November, and additional tankers were moved later that day to Germany and other European locations.
Alongside the aircraft movements, U.S. forces raised the force protection level at RAF Mildenhall and nearby RAF Lakenheath to FPCON Charlie, the Pentagon’s second-highest alert condition, which is used when intelligence indicates a likely form of terrorist activity or a targeted attack against military assets.
Washington has not released a detailed public explanation of the precise nature of the threat that prompted the response. U.S. defence officials are still exchanging information and analysing the indications that led to the decision to reposition the aircraft.
Background
The recent relocation is the second such security-driven move affecting U.S. air operations from bases in the UK in a short period. Less than two months earlier British authorities responded to an alleged Iran-linked threat aimed at RAF Fairford. That episode led to the temporary withdrawal of B-1 strategic bombers from the base.
British authorities said five people were arrested near RAF Fairford in the early hours of 27 September and prosecutors later charged two British nationals under the National Security Act; police alleged the pair had assisted and collaborated with Iranian intelligence services.
A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment directly on the latest events, saying: "The UK Ministry of Defence routinely does not comment on the activities of other nations. Aircraft and other assets move regularly in accordance with operational requirements." The U.S. Department of Defense has not provided an official public comment on the incident.
Photo: EPA/Valda Kalnina
