The US Air Force said in a statement issued on Monday that numerous unidentified drones were observed in close proximity to three British air bases that are used by American forces. The drones were detected in the vicinity of Royal Air Force Lakenheath, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, and Royal Air Force Feltwell, all of which are located in eastern England, between Wednesday and Sunday last week. The bases are home to thousands of US service members, with an emphasis on Air Force personnel.

"The number of [drone] systems fluctuated, and they ranged in sizes and configurations," the US Air Force said in a statement, explaining that "none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets."

"To protect operational security, we do not discuss our specific force protection measures but retain the right to protect the installation," the statement said. "We continued to monitor our airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets."

It is the most recent in a series of drone encounters that have taken place near American military and intelligence installations. However, the other incursions have been from within the United States. The Wall Street Journal reported that national security officials detected drones of unknown origin hovering around bases in Virginia for more than two weeks last year. The Journal also reported that drones were observed close to an experimental nuclear weapons site in Nevada in 2023.

The 48th Fighter Wing is housed at RAF Lakenheath, which is the largest Air Force-operated base in England, as per the Air Force website. Additionally, the unit is responsible for the maintenance of Joint Direct Attack Munitions missiles that are used by F-15E and F-35A fighter aircraft.