Several U.S. military aircraft left a British air force base in England on Monday, according to flight tracking data and media reports — the second time U.S. military assets have redeployed from British bases in two months.
Three Osprey helicopters, which are used by U.S. Special Operations Forces, and 10 KC-135R Stratotanker refueling aircraft were redeployed to other bases in Britain as well as Spain and Germany, according to flight tracking data verified by The Washington Post.
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. aircraft were evacuated in the wake of a threat from Iran. The exact nature of any potential threat and the reasons behind the move remain unclear.
A spokesperson for the U.S. military’s European Command said it would not comment on the movement of the aircraft or measures taken to protect U.S. forces because of “operational security.”
“U.S. Air Force aircraft rotate between installations and operating locations for a variety of reasons including training and real-world requirements,” the spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures are implemented or modified.”
A spokesperson for Britain’s Ministry of Defense said it did not comment on the activity of other nations. “Aircraft and other assets move regularly according to operational requirements,” it added.
The Mildenhall air base, located in Suffolk, northeast of London, is a major hub for the U.S. Air Force and hosts a refueling wing. It also hosts a U.S. Special Operations wing with more than 1,000 personnel focused on resupplying military forces.
The moves come more than a month after the United States removed its bombers from Fairford, a different base west of London that has been used by U.S. forces during the war in Iran, after British authorities said it was the target of a suspected terrorist plot. Two men are facing charges under the National Security Act following a police investigation.
Iran’s embassy in Britain denied any involvement in the incident at Fairford, condemning what it described as “baseless accusations” against Iran.
President Donald Trump indicated Monday that the U.S. was unlikely to restart major military operations against Iran, but he said U.S. forces remain “locked and loaded.” The comments marked the most explicit acknowledgment he hopes to wind down the war in Iran that high-profile Republicans have blamed for a drubbing in the midterm election.
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