US air force responds to suspected drone activity over UK airbase

Nov 13 (Reuters) – US air force personnel at the RAF Lakenheath base in Britain responded to “suspected unauthorised drone activity” ​on Friday evening, although no ‌personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected, a US air force spokesperson said. “We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure ‌the ​safety and security of ⁠our U.S. service ⁠members, U.S. and host nation civilians, contractors, and all of our families,” the spokesperson added. The British Ministry of Defence ​was not immediately available for comment. The US has in recent weeks moved ⁠bombers that had been ⁠used to strike Iran out ​of Britain, and switched huge refuelling aircraft ​from Britain to Germany. The bombers left ‌RAF Fairford on security grounds after a group of men approached the base in white vans in the middle ⁠of the night. Two men were charged last month in relation to that incident, with prosecutors alleging ⁠one ‌of them had tried to ⁠assist Iranian intelligence in Britain. The ​Wall ‌Street Journal has reported that ​the refuelling ⁠aircraft were moved due to a threat from Iran. (Reporting by Natalia Bueno Rebolledo in Mexico City, Elizabeth Piper, Andy Bruce and Kate Holton in London, Mike Stone ​in Washington)