The US Air Force has rapidly transferred its fleet of 12 B-1 Lancer supersonic heavy bombers from the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Base Fairford back to stateside following intelligence warnings of an Iran-backed plot targeting the installation.
The abrupt pullout from the Gloucestershire airbase in southern England came after British authorities arrested six suspects in connection with a planned attack on the facility.
Insiders said the security alert then prompted heightened defense postures across other European military installations, according to ABC News.
The Gloucestershire airfield acts as a key forward operating site for long-range US strike missions, cutting flight transit times and enabling deployments at a shorter notice.
Fleet at Home
The US Department of Defense confirmed that the platforms returned to their respective headquarters in America, emphasizing that global precision strike capabilities remain fully operational from the continental US.
Flight tracking data showed the long-range aircraft departing the Gloucestershire airfield on Sunday, ending operations at the critical hub.
US officials assured that B-1 jets can still launch directly from domestic facilities using aerial refueling capabilities to execute mission profiles globally.
“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have redeployed to their home stations,” The Hill quoted a Pentagon spokesperson as saying.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” Tehran played a role in the scheme, though Iranian officials denied any involvement.
