Earlier this week, I reported that the U.S. Air Force (USAF) withdrew all bombers deployed to RAF Fairford in England. The aircraft were abruptly and swiftly returned to their home stations in the United States.
The stated reason was “security concerns.” Now reports indicate that the development may be tied to a threat of an Iranian plot featuring a massive drone attack.
A suspected plot involving Iran to launch a complex drone attack on a key British airbase led the United States to remove its B-1 bomber aircraft from the base, two US officials told Reuters on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.Iran has denied any involvement in any alleged plot at RAF Fairford, the preferred European base for US bombers. British police said on Tuesday they had arrested a 22-year-old British man in London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts as part of their investigation into the suspected plot.A spokesperson for the US military’s European Command declined to comment, saying: “It is inappropriate to discuss matters of intelligence, and we will not discuss specific force protection measures.””As demonstrated across multiple operations, America’s bombers, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s — can deliver precision global strike capabilities – including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States – anywhere, anytime,” the spokesperson said.
Some officials said they believed the plot was loosely inspired by Ukraine’s attack on Russia last year, when it smuggled drones deep into the country and launched them from semi-trucks.
The attack destroyed or damaged at least a dozen aircraft, including many of Moscow’s nuclear-capable strategic bombers, on runways in Siberia and Russia’s Far North.Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that the Pentagon quickly moved the bombers “out of an abundance of caution trying to protect our guys.” He accused Iran of plotting attacks against the United States but stopped short of commenting on any details about the most recent threat.“We do feel with some confidence that the Iranians are trying to do what the Iranian state has done for 49 years, which is engage in acts of terrorism against the United States and against a lot of other people as well,” Mr. Vance told reporters at Joint Base Andrews before leaving on a trip to Alaska. “We are being extremely cautious.”
Meanwhile, the UK Defense Ministry is not commenting on the matter, though another arrest has been made in connection with the original security incident centered on RAF Fairford.
British counter terror police arrested a seventh man in connection with the incident on Tuesday. The 22-year-old from London was arrested “on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006,” police said, adding that “searches of a property have also been carried out.”It came after a dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack. In total, six people have been taken into custody and released on bail during the investigation.Last week, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were strong indications that Iran had played a part in the security incident.
It is good to see the USAF taking the lesson of Ukraine’s devastating drone attack seriously and moving its bombers before a suspected copycat operation could put American aircraft and personnel at risk. It
Britain’s assurances that Fairford was secure ring hollow beside the urgency of the American withdrawal, raising hard questions about whether its response matched the seriousness of the threat…and just how far along the massive drone strike plot may have been in its final execution.
Protecting our airmen requires decisive action, not waiting for burning bombers to prove a warning deserved attention.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY