Posted on 11/25/2024 3:07:04 AM PST by RoosterRedux
Anumber of drones were spotted over and near RAF Lakenheath in England on Nov. 20, the Air Force told The War Zone in response to our query about the incident.
“The number of UASs fluctuated and they ranged in size/configuration,” a spokesperson for U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE) told us “The UASs were actively monitored and installation leaders determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents or critical infrastructure.”
There were unconfirmed reports that F-15E Strike Eagles were sent aloft to chase the drones and that flight operations at the base were affected. The Air Force did not immediately respond to those claims.
“To protect operational security, we do not discuss our specific force protection measures but retain the right to protect the installation,” USAFE told us. “We continue to monitor our airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities, and assets.”
RAF Lakenheath houses an extremely important set of capabilities, most notably the U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s only fourth and fifth-generation fighter wing and home to F-35A & F-15E tactical jets.
This is the latest known drone incursion over a U.S. military installation or sensitive area, a topic that The War Zone has covered extensively.
Two days before the Lakenheath drones were spotted, drones were seen over the U.S. Army’s Picatinny Arsenal in northern New Jersey. The FBI has taken over the investigation into that incident, which you can read more about in our initial report here.
There has been an increase in intrusion events at home and abroad, and especially after the events over Langley AFB last winter, they are being looked at with much more concern.
(Excerpt) Read more at twz.com ...
duck and cover
with your Yuletide lover
Timing and Location
The drone sightings occurred between November 20-22, 2024. Drones were spotted over RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell. All three bases are located in eastern England and are used by the U.S. Air Force.
Drone Characteristics
Described as "small unmanned aerial systems" (UAS). But they were large enough and fast enough to be intercepted by scrambling jets.
Varied in size and configuration
The number of drones fluctuated during the incidents. They were capable of flying over and around the bases
Military Response
The drones were actively monitored by U.S. Air Forces in Europe. There were unconfirmed but widely accepted reports of F-15E Strike Eagles being scrambled to intercept the drones. The incidents impacted flight operations, leading to suspension of routine flights by F-15 and F-35 jets.
Security Assessment
Base leaders determined the incursions did not impact base residents or critical infrastructure. The U.S. Air Force did not confirm whether the drones were considered hostile. Both U.S. and UK authorities stated they have robust counter-drone security measures in place but there were no reports of whether or not a drone was captured.
Context:
These sightings are part of a broader trend of drone incursions over U.S. military sites, with over 600 such incidents reported since 2022.
UFO/UFP/UnidentifiedDrone ping.
As of November 2024, RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, is undergoing upgrades to its nuclear weapons storage facilities, indicating a potential return of U.S. nuclear weapons to the base. This development follows the removal of such weapons in 2008.
US Defense Department documents show that NATO has quietly added the United Kingdom to the list of nuclear weapons storage locations that are being upgraded. The documents do not identify the specific facility, but it is believed to be the US Air Base at RAF Lakenheath in southeast England approximately 100 kilometers northeast of London.There is no publicly available information suggesting that RAF Mildenhall or RAF Feltwell currently host nuclear weapons.
The war in Ukraine has shown the capabilities of drones and the relative inability to stop them esp if they come in numbers..
Numerous videos show equipment with what appears to be EW mounted on then being struck by FPV drones the EW was supposed to protect them from.
The low cost and availability of these types of drones is a serious threat to both military and civilian assets and infrastructure, and I doubt effective EW, if it exists, has been deployed in numbers to protect these assets and infrastructure.
It would not take many strikes to cause complete panic.
IMO drones have redefined gorilla warfare, and all sides know this.
You would think these things could be followed by ground support and traced to their base of origin.
Just a rollicking good prank or is a nefarious actor sending a message that all your base are belong to us?
Excellent point (despite the fact that the military will not describe these particular drones except to admit the are large enough and fast enough to be pursued by jets).
Large, established armies often find it impossible to effectively defend against the unpredictable and decentralized nature of asymmetrical attacks by guerrilla forces. And drones are the ideal weapon for such attacks.
Ummm… shot them down and identify country of origin.
I read somewhere (but can't relocate the story) that Blackhawks followed the drones/UAPs at Langley AFB in VA. And there have been unconfirmed reports of F-15E Strike Eagles being scrambled to chase drones over RAF Lakenheath.
” but retain the right to protect the installation”
Apparently, protecting the installation consists of watching, as hundreds of potentially lethal drones fly over.
Nice job.
This may have been done but news of it has been withheld.
Exactly right. Apparently, there is no effective defence, even at our top facilities, and if these drones had explosive charges they could have taken out a squadron of F-35’s.
There’s a lot of ass covering in this article.
The fact is, an enemy could take a few experienced drone operators (there are many from the war) and a dozen FPVs and wipe out every plane at an air force base before we could even react.
Send in the clowns gorillas!
Nuclear storage and nuclear vessels.
Though Langley AFB has no nuclear connection itself, the reported drone activity at Langley involved drones approaching Langley AFB from the east, circling over the base, and then turning south toward the James River before heading back eastward. This path would take them over Naval Station Norfolk, which houses significant nuclear-powered naval assets.
That citation (”drones have redefined gorilla warfare, and all sides know this.”) is not attributable to me. It’s attributable to the Freeper I was replying to.
As an aside, when I was a kid, there was a lot of reporting about the guerilla fighting in Cuba. I did actually think that there was a gorilla uprising in Cuba...and, being an animal lover, I was hoping the gorillas would win.;-)
Correct!
And now that they have completed a few of these silent attacks, they know it too!
We are a nation run by fools.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.