On Monday, UK Defence Journal reported that the US has deployed two additional B-52H Stratofortress bomber planes to RAF Fairford as part of Operation Epic Fury.
The increase takes the total number of long-range jets – which are capable of firing nuclear cruise missiles or nuclear gravity bombs – at the base to eight.
UK Defence Journal also reports that there is a larger contingent of B-1B Lancers operating from the Gloucestershire base.
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The B-52 jets can carry up to around 70,000 pounds of weapons, and can operate over 8800 miles before needing to refuel.
It comes as Prestwick Airport has come under increased scrutiny in recent months, due to the US Air Force’s use of the publicly-owned airport amid the conflict in the Middle East.
In response to the increase in US aircraft, Stop the War national convenor Lindsey German said: “RAF Fairford is being used to illegally attack Iran and Keir Starmer is lying to the British public when he claims it’s just ‘defensive’ action against missile sites targeting British interests. He should not allow the US to use British bases, he must stop collaborating with Donald Trump in his illegal wars and he should break with the US entirely over foreign policy.
“ We need a foreign policy based on equality and justice, not on imperialism and bombing.”
Scottish Greens external affairs spokesperson Patrick Harvie said that the UK Government appears “utterly complacent about facilitating the US war-machine one way or another”.
Patrick Harvie said the UK had been utterly complacent (Image: NQ)
“The US has been repeatedly threatening to deliberately target civilian infrastructure, including the power plants that desalination and other life-critical functions depend on,” he added.
“This would cause a humanitarian catastrophe, and the US has already been warned that it would amount to a war crime.
“Nobody wants this illegal, immoral war. A former human rights lawyer of all people should be able to recognise and oppose the atrocities and occupation being carried out across multiple countries in the Middle East by Israel and the US.
“Starmer says the UK’s armed forces are not involved and that he wants to see a peaceful process in place of war. But unless he stands up to Trump and bans his military from using UK infrastructure during active conflict, then the Prime Minister’s wishes for diplomacy are nothing short of lip service.”
A Green Party of England and Wales source told The National: “The Labour government must come clean to the public – claims that Britain is ‘not taking part’ in this illegal war on Iran are impossible to square with reports of US bombers operating from RAF Fairford.”
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“The UK should not be enabling an illegal war of aggression,” the source added.
“Permission for US forces to use British bases for strikes on Iran should be withdrawn. The government must also end arms sales to and military cooperation with the Israeli government, impose sanctions on officials responsible for breaches of international law, and refuse any further complicity in this illegal war.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “These claims are incorrect – this government has given permission to the US to use British bases for specific and limited defensive operations – in collective self-defence of our regional allies and to protect British lives.
“The US is our principal defence and security partner and has operated from British bases for decades.”