British troops sent to help US find who is flying drones over UK air bases

The drones that flew over the British air bases on Monday night have not been identified as hostile

RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, the UK. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

British troops are assisting the US Air Force to find out who is responsible for flying drones over three bases in England. The USAF said drones were seen overnight flying over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

About 60 British troops have been posted to help the USAF investigate the incident. The USAF said the number of sightings “fluctuated and varied between the bases”, and that the drones have not been identified as hostile.

It comes days after it was confirmed that a small number of “unmanned aerial systems” were seen in the vicinity of the three bases between Wednesday and Sunday. UK authorities are working to ensure the safety of the sites.

“Right now, the assessment is that these drones have had no operational impact or safety impact on our personnel at any of these facilities. We’re keeping a close eye on them,” US Pentagon press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder said.

“We’re, of course, communicating very regularly with the UK host nation authorities and will take appropriate measures again to protect our personnel and our people.

“The bottom line is, it’s something that we’re going to take seriously. We’re continuing to look into it, but as of right now, it has not had any significant mission impact.

"A spokesman for the UK Ministry of Defence said: “We take threats seriously and maintain robust measures at defence sites. We are supporting the US Air Force response.”