A number 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. This now includes accelerating the deployment of military capabilities to identify and defeat drone systems near these key areas. However, it’s worth noting that when it comes to defending homeland installations from drones, none of these countermeasures include directed energy weapons or kinetic systems, such as guns and missiles. You can read more about what is being done in our previous feature.
This is a developing story. We will update it with more information as it comes in.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com