Pentagon pulls B-1 bombers from UK airbase after new security warning over Iran

The US military has withdrawn its entire contingent of B-1B Lancer bombers from RAF Fairford in the UK following fresh Iran-related security concerns surrounding the strategic airbase.

All US long-range bombers based at the Gloucestershire facility returned to their home stations in the US on Sunday, October 4. At least a dozen B-1B Lancers are believed to have been stationed there before their departure.

The move comes as British counter-terrorism police investigate suspicious activity near the Royal Air Force station and amid reports that US commanders received new information about a possible threat involving Iran.

A Pentagon official confirmed that all the bombers had been withdrawn. Aircraft-tracking services recorded the B-1s leaving the base. “We can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States,” the Pentagon representative told CNN.

Security fears on the rise

The aircraft reportedly departed quickly enough that aerial refueling tankers were still being organized to support their flights across the Atlantic. According to the BBC, the withdrawal follows an incident near RAF Fairford on Sunday, September 27. At the time, police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles traveling near the installation.

Five UK-citizens, aged between 23 and 25, were initially detained on suspicion of explosives-related offenses. Police subsequently investigated them on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act before releasing them on bail.

A US Air Force Rockwell B-1 Lancer heavy bomber in the air. Credit: U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia commons

Authorities later arrested a sixth suspect, a 25-year-old British-Iranian national, in London. He was also released on bail as the investigation continued. UK officials have pointed to an elevated threat from Iran but have not publicly linked Tehran to the RAF Fairford incident. Iran, however, has denied involvement.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated that Iran may have played a role in the incident. “We will say more in due course, but we can confirm our belief that we believe Iran to have played a part,” he said. Reports stated that the Pentagon ordered the move at an operational military level rather than through a political decision.

Keeping US bombers safe

RAF Fairford is a key forward operating base for the US Air Force in Europe. It has hosted B-1B Lancers and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, and supported numerous US operations across Europe and the Middle East.

Ezra Cohen, a former defense official under Trump’s first administration, backed the decision to move the bombers from the base. “The B-1 bomber is a strategic asset, and we’re going to take steps to protect it, from all sorts of threats,” Cohen pointed out.

Meanwhile, during a Fox News interview on September 29, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acknowledged possible foreign involvement in the alleged plot. He, however, denied identifying who may have been responsible. “It’s one that clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor, I won’t get into great detail about that yet,” he said.

Though no longer in production, the supersonic B-1B is one of the US Air Force’s most powerful long-range bombers. The jet can exceed 900 miles per hour (mph) and carry up to 75,000 pounds of conventional weapons. This gives it the largest conventional payload capacity in the US Air Force fleet.

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/military/us-b1b-bombers-uk-iran-security-threat