Security concerns over drones no longer are contained to the U.S. mainland as many have been spotted several times over U.S. military bases in the United Kingdom and Germany in the past 30 days, according to multiple media reports.
Last month, a mysterious swarm of drones was seen over several days at three bases used by the U.S. Air Force in Great Britain — RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk — triggering a scramble by British troops and police, the Daily Mail reported Friday. Defense sources described it as a "coordinated" operation.
The U.S. Air Force confirmed in a news release Nov. 26 that drones were spotted since Nov. 20 over the bases. It added drones were spotted at a fourth base, RAF Fairford, where four U.S. B-52 bombers are deployed as part of Bomber Task Force 25-1. F-35 and F-15 fighter jets, KC-135 tankers and RC-135 surveillance aircraft are at the other bases.
"To date, installation leaders have determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets," the release stated. "The Air Force is taking all appropriate measures to safeguard the aforementioned installations and their residents. The number of systems has fluctuated, and they have ranged in sizes and configurations."
The Air Force declined to say if any action was taken against the drones, only that "we retain the right to protect our installations."
German magazine Der Spiegel also reported Friday that during the evenings of Dec. 3 and Dec.4, several drones were spotted over the base in Ramstein, Germany, which serves as the U.S. military hub in Europe.
"At the beginning of December, there were several sightings of small, unmanned aircraft systems in the area and above Ramstein Air Base," a base spokeswoman told Der Spiegel. "They had no impact on the residents of the base or on the facilities and military equipment there." The spokeswoman added the U.S. military is working closely with German authorities regarding the incidents.
Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence colonel, told the Daily Mail the sightings in Great Britain had "all the hallmarks" of an operation by Russia's secretive GRU spy agency.
"It's a distinct possibility if not a certain probability this is all down to Russian intelligence," he said. "They and the GRU are just a bunch of petulant little boys. They're trying to suggest they have the ability to disrupt and influence through a level of nuisance action.
"I would say we will see another flurry of activity in the next few months for sure. Whether drones or something else, I suspect something else."
Der Spiegel also reported that drones were spotted over facilities belonging to the German arms company Rheinmetall and the chemical giant BASF in recent weeks, although their origins could not be determined.
There is no evidence to suggest the drone sightings in Great Britain and Germany are related to the recent nightly drone sightings across New Jersey and nearby states that have raised alarms about safety and security.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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