US relocates military aircraft from British base amid Iran threats

Résumé détaillé

The U.S. Air Force relocated 13 aircraft from RAF Mildenhall to bases in Scotland, Spain and Germany after a threat was identified.

The U.S. Air Force has relocated aircraft from a base in eastern England because of a threat, U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

The Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity, said that it spotted 13 U.S. aircraft stationed at RAF Mildenhall departing for bases in Scotland, Spain and Germany.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the evacuation, said that the threat related to Iran. The report cited "people familiar with the matter."

The relocation of the aircraft came less than two months after the U.S. Air Force withdrew its bombers from another U.S.-run base in Britain, RAF Fairford, as police investigated a suspected terror plot linked to Iran. Bombers flying out of RAF Fairford had been used to strike Iran during the Middle East conflict.

Some of the aircraft that were relocated were permanently based at RAF Mildenhall, while others were there on rotation and included a combination of Osprey aircraft and midair refueling tankers, the Military Air Tracking Alliance said.

The base also raised its alert level to FPCON Charlie — the second highest level — the organization said. That applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating that some form of terrorist action targeting personnel or facilities is likely.

The decision to move the aircraft was proactive rather than reactive, a U.S. official said, adding that the U.S. military is agile to potential threats. Some of the planes that left were in transit while others were permanently stationed at RAF Mildenhall and they may return, the official said. The official didn't elaborate on the nature and source of the threat.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States is “constantly repositioning forces around the world for a variety of reasons,” and referred questions to the Pentagon, which didn't provide immediate confirmation.

An official from the U.S. Air Force in Europe told…

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