RAF Lakenheath: Alarm at Suffolk Air Base as US Air Force Responds to Suspected Drones

The US Air Force says it responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on Friday evening, after reports of an alarm sounding at the base. The USAF says no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected, and the Ministry of Defence says the situation is now resolved.

What happened at RAF Lakenheath?

An alarm was reported at the base at around 6.30pm on Friday, and videos of it were shared online during the evening. A US Air Force spokesperson said security forces responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity and that “no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected”.

There were unconfirmed reports that personnel were told to take cover indoors. The USAF has not said how many drones were seen or how long the response lasted.

Read more: US Ground Stop Lifted: FAA Lets Flights Resume After Air Traffic Control Outage – Latest

What have officials said?

The Ministry of Defence said the situation “is now resolved” and that it was working with relevant parties to establish the facts. West Suffolk MP Nick Timothy said he had been told there is no threat to the public.

The USAF said it continues to work closely with UK counterparts and urged the public to report any unusual or suspicious activity to local police.

Is it linked to the US flight ground stop?

There is nothing to suggest a link. The drone incident happened at a base in England, while the nationwide ground stop affecting flights in the United States was ordered by the FAA over a telecommunications outage.