The Air Force flew all twelve of its B-1 bombers out of a British air base and home to the United States on Sunday, October 4, after commanders received new warnings of an Iran-backed plot against the base. U.S. officials said the need to move the planes was so urgent that some crews took off while the refueling planes meant to support them were still being scrambled.
Story Highlights
- The Pentagon confirmed that every U.S. bomber at RAF Fairford has gone back to its home station in the United States.
- Two U.S. officials said commanders got new threats about an Iran-backed plot against the base.
- British police arrested five men near the base on September 27 and later released them on bail.
- Iran has denied any part in a plot.
Why the Bombers Left England in a Hurry
The B-1 is a long-range Air Force bomber that carries a heavy load of bombs and missiles. RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force base about 100 miles west of London that American bombers use as a forward base in Europe. Two U.S. officials said commanders received new threats about an Iran-backed plot against the base. One official said the warnings were part of the same threat picture that surfaced three weeks earlier, but that the details and the sense of urgency spiked in the 24 hours before the planes left.
Iran has denied any involvement in a plot and called in the British ambassador in Tehran to protest. The Pentagon did not give a reason for the move in its public statement. It said that “all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States.”
Ten of the twelve bombers took off on Sunday, October 4, in several waves through the day. At least three had landed at their home base in South Dakota by Sunday. Tankers, the planes that refuel bombers in the air on a long ocean crossing, were still being readied when the first crews left.
The Arrests Near the Base on September 27
The move came one week after British counterterror police arrested five men near the base on September 27. The men were held on suspicion of driving vans carrying explosives toward the airfield. Investigators found gasoline in the vans but no explosive devices. Police released the five men on bail without charges, and they remain under investigation.
Vicki Evans, the senior officer who coordinates counterterror policing in Britain, called the investigation “hugely complex” and said specialist teams are working on multiple lines of inquiry. Andy Burnham, the British prime minister, has said Iran played a part in the suspected plot. He did not give details. President Trump praised the British police work. “The arrest in the UK was fantastic,” he said. “We had them under investigation.”
What the Bombers Were Doing at Fairford
American bombers have flown from RAF Fairford since the start of the U.S. military campaign against Iran, which began in late February. The base held more than twenty bombers at one point. Six B-52s, the older and larger eight-engine bombers, left in late September. With the B-1s gone, the base has no American bombers for the first time in months.
The Pentagon said it could not confirm the flights while they were under way, for the safety of the crews. It spoke only after the planes had left Britain. “U.S. Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements,” the statement said.
What This Means for American Strength
The move does not take a single bomber out of the fight. The Pentagon said the airmen who fly the B-1, the B-2 and the B-52 “remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities,” including on missions that start and end in the United States, “anywhere, anytime.” A bomber flying from South Dakota can still reach targets overseas with help from tankers along the way.
What changed is where the planes sit on the ground. Twelve bombers parked on one well-known airfield were a target that an enemy could study. Commanders chose to protect the crews and the aircraft first. Pulling a full bomber force off an allied base in one day is a rare step, and it shows how seriously the warnings were taken.
What to Watch Next
British counterterror police lead the investigation, and any charges against the five men would come from them. The Pentagon has not said when, or whether, bombers will return to RAF Fairford. Security at the base was raised after the September 27 arrests. Future bomber moves are likely to be confirmed only after the planes have landed.
Sources:
twz.com, bbc.co.uk, bbc.com, reuters.com, abcnews.com
