US Air Force personnel at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity on Friday evening, with no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure affected, a US Air Force spokesperson said .
Sirens sounded at the base and personnel were ordered to shelter in the nearest building, according to reports . The spokesperson said: "This evening, USAF Security Forces personnel responded to suspected unauthorised drone activity over RAF Lakenheath. No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected." Unconfirmed reports suggested up to three drones breached the base's airspace .
The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that US security forces responded to the reports and that "the situation is now resolved" . A spokesperson said: "We are working closely with them to establish the facts. We will provide updates in due course." Nick Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk, said base authorities told him "there is no threat to the public, and the incident is now resolved" .
The US Air Force added: "We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, US and host nation civilians, contractors and all of our families." It also said: "Protecting our shared community is a joint responsibility, and we encourage everyone to support this effort by reporting any unusual or suspicious activity to local authorities" .
RAF Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, with almost 7,000 active-duty personnel, making it the largest US fighter operation in Europe . The base was placed on "Charlie alert" in September, the second-highest threat level issued by the US Department of Defense .
The incident is the fourth recent security alert at a UK air base used by the American military, according to the Financial Times . Earlier this year, police investigated an alleged terror plot at RAF Fairford and a trespass incident at RAF Molesworth . In the past two months, the US evacuated aircraft from RAF Mildenhall and RAF Fairford in response to suspected attacks allegedly linked to Iran . This week, at least 12 US Air Force aircraft departed RAF Mildenhall, including two KC-135 refuelling aircraft .
