Fears Mount as Suspected Russian Drones Spotted Near US Airbases in UK
Suspected Russian drones have been sighted near US airbases in the UK, sparking fears of a potential threat to national security. The small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) were seen flying near RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell, in Suffolk and Norfolk.
A US Air Force spokesperson confirmed that the drones were spotted in the skies near the airbases, which are set to store nuclear missiles. The sightings come just days after a fleet of “unmanned aerial devices” were identified flying above the sites.
The RAF deployed their ORCUS counter-drone weapons, which can jam the signal to hostile drones and let friendly forces take over controls. The system can detect, track, identify, and defeat hostile drones.
The drone sightings have prompted concerns that Russia may be behind a spate of sabotage flights. The US Air Force has confirmed that small UASs were spotted in the vicinity of and over the airbases between November 20 and 22.
The incidents have also coincided with fury in Moscow over US and British decisions to let Ukraine fire long-range cruise missiles at targets on Russian soil. The drone sightings come hours after Ukraine fired US ATAMCS missiles at an ammunition dump in Russia’s Bryansk.
The US Air Force has assured that the drone sightings did not impact base residents or critical infrastructure, but the Pentagon has deployed additional troops to the airbases as a precautionary measure.
