The U.S. Air Force has removed all bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and flown them back to home stations in the United States after a security incident near the base. The redeployment covers the full bomber contingent at the key forward operating site, which has supported U.S. long-range missions in Europe and operations linked to Iran.
The move came as British authorities investigated a suspected terror plot near the airfield. The Pentagon confirmed that all U.S. bombers deployed to RAF Fairford had been sent back, while stressing that bomber crews remain ready for global strike missions from the continental United States. The rapid withdrawal appears to have been carried out under heightened urgency, with reports indicating some aircraft departed before refuelling support was fully in place.
RAF Fairford has been a regular staging point for U.S. bomber deployments for decades, making the full pullback operationally significant. The base has hosted B-1 and B-52 aircraft among other long-range bombers, and the decision temporarily reduces the U.S. bomber presence at one of its most important European outposts.