US removes several aircraft from second UK airbase weeks after RAF Fairford incidentpublished at 11:23 GMT
11:23 GMT
Image source, PA MediaImage caption,
A US Air Force Stratotanker plane on the tarmac at RAF Mildenhall on Tuesday
Earlier this week, the US Air Force removed more than 12 aircraft from a second airbase in Britain – RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.
The move came weeks after the US withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford over a suspected Iran-linked security incident.
Using public flight-tracking site Flightradar24, BBC Verify was able to see 10 USAF KC-135 tankers leaving RAF Mildenhall throughout Monday.
Two Boeing Stratotanker KC-135 refuelling aircraft departed on Tuesday afternoon.
Downing Street has insisted that UK airbases are safe, with the prime minister’s official spokesperson saying “the protection of our bases, both in the UK and across the world, is a top priority”.
A US Air Force spokesperson said its aircraft “rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons including training and real world requirements”.
A major incident was declared at RAF Fairford in September, after three suspicious vans were seen near that base. It later emerged that the US had pulled its bombers from there and returned them to America.
Overnight, the US Department of Justice announced charges against three Iran-backed operatives, alleging they were involved in the RAF Fairford incident.
Iran has strongly denied any involvement.
