The Pentagon confirmed that bombers deployed to RAF Fairford returned to U.S. bases as British authorities investigate a suspected terrorist plot.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — The U.S. Air Force has removed its deployed bombers from RAF Fairford in England and returned them to bases in the United States after heightened security concerns surrounding a suspected terrorist plot targeting the installation, U.S. officials said.
The abrupt movement came about a week after British counterterrorism authorities arrested five men near RAF Fairford and later detained a sixth suspect as part of an expanding investigation. The Pentagon confirmed Sunday that all U.S. bombers deployed to Fairford had returned to their home stations, but officials did not publicly disclose the specific intelligence or threat information behind the timing of the withdrawal. The investigation remains active, and British police have said they are examining several possible lines of inquiry, including possible foreign state involvement.
About a dozen B-1B Lancer bombers had remained at Fairford before the Oct. 4 departure, according to military reporting and aircraft observers. The base in Gloucestershire, about 100 miles west of London, has served as an important operating location for American long-range bombers. U.S. aircraft based there have taken part in operations involving Iran, making the installation strategically important as tensions in the Middle East continue.
The security investigation began early Sept. 27, when British police received a report of three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be traveling toward RAF Fairford. Armed officers responded in the Whelford area and arrested five men on suspicion of offenses under Britain’s Explosives Act. Counterterrorism police said the men were also arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. Authorities established a 400-meter cordon around the vehicles while an Army explosive ordnance disposal team examined the scene.
About 85 households near the base were evacuated as a precaution during the initial response. Authorities later allowed residents to return. The five men arrested near Fairford were released on bail while investigators continued their work. Police said no explosive devices were found in the vehicles. A sixth person, a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national, was subsequently arrested in London on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism and was also later released on police bail. None of the suspects has been charged, and police have stressed that the investigation remains underway.
British officials have publicly raised the possibility of Iranian involvement, while investigators have stopped short of announcing a final finding about who may have directed or supported the suspected plot. Iran has denied involvement. British counterterrorism officials have said they are examining possible foreign state involvement among several lines of inquiry, leaving the precise origin, planning and motive behind the incident unresolved.
The suspected plot drew added attention because of Fairford’s role in U.S. military operations. The British government authorized the United States earlier this year to use British bases for what it described as specific defensive operations involving Iran. American B-1 and B-52 bombers have operated from Fairford during the conflict, giving the U.S. military a European location for long-range missions while reducing the distance aircraft must travel compared with missions launched from the continental United States.
The Pentagon did not say that removing the aircraft would end U.S. long-range strike operations. U.S. military officials emphasized that American bombers routinely operate around the world and can conduct long-distance missions from bases in the United States. Fairford does not permanently host a U.S. bomber force, but it has long served as a forward operating location for American heavy bombers and remains an important part of U.S. military infrastructure in Europe.
The departure followed several days of heightened security around Fairford and other facilities used by American forces in Britain. The U.S. Air Force has declined to describe specific force-protection measures, citing operational security. Officials have said U.S. units in Britain remain in coordination with British authorities to protect military personnel, civilian employees, contractors and surrounding communities.
The bombers’ withdrawal does not resolve the larger investigation. British authorities have not announced charges against any of the six people detained in connection with the Fairford case, and investigators have not publicly established who, if anyone, directed the suspected operation. The aircraft are now back at their U.S. home stations while British counterterrorism authorities continue examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and any potential foreign involvement.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 5, 2026.