UK troops join hunt for drones near US airbases

About 60 British troops person been brought successful to assistance find those liable for flying drones adjacent US subject bases.

The unit person been sent to assistance the US Air Force (USAF) successful its investigation, the BBC understands.

The drones were not considered hostile, the USAF said, adding the sightings had "fluctuated and varied betwixt the bases".

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated: "We are supporting the US Air Force response."

The quality follows a fig of reports successful the past week of unmanned aerial vehicles spotted successful the vicinity of RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, some successful Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell successful neighbouring Norfolk.

Further drone enactment had been reported overnight. The USAF said the vehicles were tiny successful fig and size.

A US Air Forces successful Europe spokesperson said: "We tin corroborate determination were sightings yesterday during night-time hours and tin lone corroborate that the fig fluctuated and varied betwixt the bases implicit the night."

The spokesperson added that since the archetypal sightings connected 20 November determination had been "no interaction to residents oregon infrastructure and they person not been identified arsenic hostile".

However, the drones are inactive being monitored "to guarantee the information and information of the installations".

Neither US oregon UK officials person said who mightiness beryllium down the caller drone activity.

But the BBC understands determination were concerns a authorities histrion mightiness beryllium involved.

In caller months quality officials person warned of expanding Russian sabotage operations against Western countries supporting Ukraine.

RAF Mildenhall is chiefly location to the USAF's 100th Air Refuelling Wing; RAF Lakenheath is location to USAF F-35A and F-15E combatant jets; and RAF Feltwell is chiefly acrophobic with logistics and provides lodging for subject personnel.

A spokesperson for the MoD, which owns the bases, said: "We instrumentality threats earnestly and support robust measures astatine defence sites.

"We are supporting the US Air Force response."

The USAF has not said who it believed to beryllium down the incidents.