RAF Lakenheath, England: Drone swarms over US-used air bases, USAF confirms incursions

From November 20 to 22, 2024, unidentified drones of varying number, size and configuration were reported swarming over and near RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, RAF Feltwell in Norfolk and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire; one was tracked at 170 mph, and there were unconfirmed reports of US F-15E jets scrambled to chase them. Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on November 22 a National Police Air Service EC135 helicopter flying toward Lakenheath came close to two objects that matched its speed for several minutes; the UK Airprox Board later concluded that the crew had misidentified a Lakenheath-based F-15, with questions about TCAS returns, lighting and separation left open. Drones were reported again over Lakenheath and Mildenhall from November 25 to 27; US officials said they did not appear to be the work of hobbyists, and Col. Jack R. Arthaud, commander of the 48th Fighter Wing, said the incidents were being actively monitored. About 60 British service members were reportedly deployed to the bases, which the Ministry of Defence did not confirm; on November 27 the matter was raised in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the USAF Office of Special Investigations questioned local residents, and two Cobra emergency committee meetings were held. A July 2026 report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies concluded that it was highly likely that the Kremlin conducted a UAV campaign over Europe, based on these and other sightings. The account follows the entry in George M. Eberhart's chronology UFOs and Intelligence (CUFOS) and the sources cited there; it is not an independent determination by From Beyond Space.