All U.S. B-1 strategic bombers have left RAF Fairford, a week after an alleged terror plot near the base was thwarted. The NYT said commanders accelerated the move after new warnings.
The United States has withdrawn all of its B-1 strategic bombers from RAF Fairford, a week after an alleged terror plot near the base was thwarted. The New York Times, citing U.S. officials, reported that the evacuation was accelerated by new threat warnings that alarmed military commanders.
About 12 American bombers had been stationed at Fairford. Some aircraft and their crews left before tanker planes were fully prepared for the flight back to the United States. The NYT said all of the B-1s have now returned to their permanent U.S. bases.
Fairford had served as a staging point for U.S. strikes on Iran. On September 27, British police arrested five men near the base and charged them in connection with preparing a terror attack and offences under explosives legislation. British authorities said the suspects may have acted under direction from a foreign state and said Iran could be involved. The report of the bombers’ withdrawal does not itself establish a link between the arrests and the change in security posture.