US withdraws all bombers from RAF Fairford amid investigation into suspected attack plot

The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday, October 4, that all US bombers deployed to RAF Fairford had returned to their home bases in the United States. The Gloucestershire airfield had hosted B-1 and B-52 operations from the opening days of the war with Iran and has been at the centre of a British counterterrorism investigation since late September.

The Pentagon’s statement did not give a reason for the withdrawal. A spokesman said operational security had prevented real-time confirmation of the movements, but that the aircraft “have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States”.

About a dozen B-1 bombers had been stationed at the base, and aviation observers saw them departing on Sunday. Two Pentagon officials told NBC News that at least 12 bombers were withdrawn, including some that had only recently arrived as part of a rotation.

A Pentagon official told the network that the aircrews operating the American bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s and B-52s, remained ready for precision strikes “anywhere, anytime”. Those operations can include missions that both launch and recover in the continental United States.

RAF Fairford is roughly 160 kilometres west of London. It has hosted American bombers during successive US conflicts in the Middle East dating back to the Gulf War in the 1990s.

Six arrests, all suspects released on bail

The investigation began in the early hours of September 27, when five men were arrested in Whelford, near the base, on suspicion of explosives offences and preparation of terrorist acts. Police examined three vehicles and recovered petrol, but found no improvised explosive devices. All five were subsequently released on strict bail conditions and remain under investigation.

A sixth man, a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national, was arrested in Westminster, London, on October 1 on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in connection with the September 27 incident. Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed on October 3 that he too had been released on bail and that searches of two properties in the same area had concluded.

Vicki Evans, the service’s senior national coordinator, described the investigation as “hugely complex”. She said investigators were considering “all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement”. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that Iran may have played a role, without detailing the evidence. Tehran denies involvement and summoned Britain’s ambassador to protest.

The bomber withdrawal comes alongside an increase in the US naval presence directed towards the Middle East. USS Theodore Roosevelt is heading towards the region, as is the USS Makin Island amphibious ready group. A US official cited by NBC News said the deployments could result in three aircraft carriers in the region by the end of October.