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Unidentified drones have been seen over three air bases in Britain, which are used by the United States Air Force (USAF), last week, both countries have confirmed.
The USAF confirmed "small unmanned aerial systems" (UASs) were spotted flying above and in the vicinity of Royal Air Force bases in Lakenheath, Mildenhall, and Feltwell in eastern England between November 20 and 22, The Press Association news agency reported.
It is unclear at this stage if the drones spotted were considered hostile.
"The number of UASs fluctuated and they ranged in size/configuration," the USAF said in a statement. "The UASs were actively monitored and installation leaders determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents or critical infrastructure."
Its statement continued: "To protect operational security, we do not discuss our specific force protection measures, but retain the right to protect the installation. We continue to monitor our airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Britain's Ministry of Defense said that "we take threats seriously and maintain robust measures at defense sites. This includes counter-drone security capabilities."
Newsweek has contacted the USAF in Europe for comment via email.
Lakenheath, in the county of Suffolk, is home to the U.S. Air Force's 48th Fighter Wing, which is the only F-15 wing based in Europe. RAF Mildenhall is also based in Suffolk, with RAF Feltwell located just a few miles away in Norfolk.
In December 2017, RAF Mildenhall was briefly placed in lockdown after a car allegedly attempted to ram a gate at the base's checkpoint.
Suffolk Police said at the time that the suspect did not respond when security guards signaled for him to stop driving. U.S. service personnel then opened fire at the suspect driving the car.
Police said a man "with cuts and bruises" was later detained at the scene. The incident was not treated as a terrorist attack and there was no wider threat to the public or occupants on the base.
In May 2016, a man was jailed for life for plotting to commit a terrorist act near RAF Lakenheath.
Junead Khan was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison for plotting to kill U.S. personnel outside the base. He had discussed staging a road accident near the grounds, then killing those who came to help, the BBC reported.
Update 11/24/24, 9:53 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, and Florida ... Read more