Mystery over Russia-linked drone activity at RAF bases remains after US forces using the facilities cited ‘unusual circumstances’ in response to a request for information.
The exemption followed the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) releasing documents relating to the incidents at sites where the US Air Force has a presence, including the highly sensitive ‘Liberty Wing’ facility in Lakenheath, Suffolk.
The heavily redacted responses to the ‘drone activity’ in November show the incident was escalated high up the chain of command, including to COBR, the cabinet committee convened to handle matters of national emergency or major disruption.
Analysis of the documents shows the drones repeatedly flew over the same area and suggests one or more operators may have been ‘ready and waiting’ for clear weather before launching the uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) at night.
However, the 48th Communications Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath has only given a holding position of ‘unusual circumstances’ in response to the request for information about the events — making reference to the process of searching for and collecting the information.
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In the latest incident involving UAVs causing disruption in airspace over the UK and Europe, a ‘capable actor’ was said to have deployed large drones at Copenhagen Airport last night, impacting thousands of passengers.
Police said that whoever was behind the drones, which forced Denmark to shut down its main travel hub, intended to ‘show off’.
Jens Jespersen, police inspector in Copenhagen Police, said: ‘There is nothing to suggest that they intended to harm anyone.
‘They intended to show off. It is an actor who has the capabilities, the will and the tools to show off in this way.’
Police are also investigating a similar incident in Oslo, but it is too early to say whether the two are connected, the officer said.
The drones have since disappeared from the sky above the airport, with none known to have been shot down or captured.
Poland, Estonia and Romania have all accused Russia of violating their airspace this month, allegations that Moscow has brushed off.
Asked if the drones could have been Russian-operated, deputy police inspector Jakob Hansen said: ‘We do not know at this point.’
Around 60 RAF personnel were assigned to help solve the UK mystery after the first objects were detected on three consecutive nights beginning November 20, possibly as part of an inter-linked ‘swarm’.
The UAS were also reported over and in the vicinity of fellow RAF bases in Mildenhall, also in Suffolk, nearby Feltwell in Norfolk and Fairford, a major facility in Gloucestershire.
All of the air force sites are home to American forces, with military significant Lakenheath used for American F-15 and F-35 combat aircraft and being due to host US nuclear warheads.
The drone activity followed a ‘similar pattern’ over the three nights, according to the documents marked ‘sensitive’ which have been released by the MoD under the Freedom of Information Act.
Peter Layton, a military aviation analyst at the Griffith Asia Institute and former Royal Australian Air Force officer, told Metro the redacted information disclosure raises further questions.
‘The repetition is interesting as there is a bit of mystery in why the drones followed similar patterns,’ he said. ‘Why go over the same area again and again if the first flight was a success?
‘The weather reports show the sky was clear on those nights, which was relatively uncommon at that time of year. Were one or more drone operators ready and waiting for such an opportunity?
‘The information that has been given could fit some hobbyist drones but it’s at night, they would need lights on the drones to retrieve them, and many hobbyist drones don’t have high quality thermal imaging sensors which is what’s needed if the target area is not well lit up – like a city.
‘However, hobbyist drones are getting better sensors and many are affordable if you’re into that kind of thing. A fast jet fighter would have real trouble finding one at night due to its very small size and very low speed and even more trouble doing anything about it.
‘On the other hand, it’s a low security classification.
‘That implies it’s not terribly serious and that it’s been classified to avoid embarrassment and it’s not a real threat. It seems to be being handled as an administrative problem not an operational problem.’
The only ‘USAF in Europe’ F-35 and F-15 fighter wing, Lakenheath has more than 4,000 military members and over 1,500 British and US civilians.
Liberty Wing, which lies 25 miles north-east of Cambridge, also includes a geographically separate unit at nearby RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.
A military source told MailOnline that the objects were recorded flying at up to 170mph near the base, chased a police helicopter sent to investigate and appeared to be controlled remotely using radio frequencies outside of normal bands used for military or civilian drones.
Drone incidents over or near military bases in 2024
Drone alarm activation, nothing found 111
Drone alarm activation, pilot found, words of advice 58
UAV/drone/quadcopter activity over prohibited space 47
UAV/drone/quadcopter activity in the vicinity of areas surrounding
military/industrial partners 37
Drones sighted, no pilot located 6
Drone alarm activation, pilot found, evasive, searched and arrested 1
Drone alarm activation, pilot found, warning issued. 1
Drone found on floor at site, NFA 1
Drone found on the inside of the fenceline in the grass 1
Total: 263
(Source: Ministry of Defence Police)
Three people with links to Russian military and intelligence sites travelled to stay near the airbases before the incidents, according to a separate report. One is said to have been just metres from the perimeter of Mildenhall when the drones were flying, the i said.
UK and US officials have been investigating Kremlin involvement in the incursions, according to the newspaper.
Responding to US Air Force (USAF) statements at the time, the UK Defence Minister for the House of Lords said that the MoD Police was the ‘gold command’ for the bases concerned.
Lord Coaker also told parliament that ‘counter-drone capabilities’ were in place across military sites and ‘all agencies and parts of the state’ were working to identify and take further action against the perpetrators.
An MoD spokesperson said: ‘We will not be offering a running commentary on operational security matters, however the public can rest assured that we take threats seriously and maintain robust measures at defence sites.’
A USAF spokesperson said at the time that the systems had ‘fluctuated’ in size and configuration.
The representative added: ‘To safeguard operational security, we do not discuss specific force protection measures, however we retain the right to protect our installations.’
An unnamed official at the 48th Fighter Wing told Metro: ‘We remain vigilant against the threat of sUAS that conduct unauthorized incursions over military installations.’
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