Footage has emerged which appears to show the suspected drones that sparked a full-scale military alert last night at four RAF airbases frequently used by the US Air Force.
Three objects were seen flying in formation near RAF Marham in Norfolk, each visible by a blinking light, causing alarm among US forces amid fears of a possible co-ordinated attack.
Last night, residents close to the base reported flashing lights and warning sirens, along with urgent announcements in a US accent ordering people to take shelter.
Alarms were also raised at nearby RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, as well as RAF Feltwell in Norfolk, all of which are home to US jets.
It comes amid a febrile atmosphere on RAF bases in recent weeks, following a ‘credible’ terror threat from Iran earlier this week which led to US planes being pulled from RAF Mildenhall.
Nine US air force refuelling planes were scrambled from the base on Monday, flying to other locations in the UK, Germany and Spain.
Three V-22 Ospreys, used by American special forces, were withdrawn to RAF Lakenheath to be stored in fortified hangars.
The sudden evacuation has been described as ‘extraordinarily unusual’ by a former RAF chief. It follows a similar exodus of bombers from RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, last month after an alleged Iranian terror plot was foiled.
What appears to be three suspected drones filmed hovering near RAF Marham in Norfolk yesterday
Footage filmed by residents near the RAF airbases captured the sirens ringing out across their pitch-black gardens
The base is the home of the F-35 Lightning stealth fighter jet and more than 3,600 service personnel working there
The suspected drones seen last night later appeared to vanish without trace, with no base or aircraft damaged or otherwise harmed during the incidents.
It is unknown who was flying the drones, or for what purpose, but all alerts were later stood down.
The Lakenheath and Feltwell bases are located less than seven miles apart, while Feltwell and Marham are around 12 miles apart, as the crow flies, or 17 miles by road.
At RAF Marham last night, residents were left concerned after hearing ‘war sirens’ at about 5.30pm and an announcement over loudspeakers in an American accent instructing people to take shelter.
More than 3,600 service personnel, civil servants and contractors work at RAF Marham near King’s Lynn in Norfolk.
The US Air Force also confirmed that the alarm was raised at RAF Lakenheath due to ‘suspected unauthorised drones’ operating near the base.
A spokesman said on Friday: ‘This evening, USAF Security Forces personnel responded to suspected unauthorized drone activity over RAF Lakenheath.
‘No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected.
‘We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, U.S. and host nation civilians, contractors, and all of our families.’
Light armored vehicle and military personnel are pictured at the entrance of RAF Lakenheath on September 27
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The Air Force urged anyone who may have witnessed any unusual or suspicious activity to report it to the relevant local authorities.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘We are continuing to coordinate with all relevant parties regarding reports of unauthorised drone activity at RAF Lakenheath on Friday evening.
‘USAF Security Forces personnel responded to reports of drone sightings and the alert level was raised.
‘Ministry of Defence Police and Suffolk Police work closely with USAF Security Forces and were deployed to assist and the situation was quickly resolved.
‘While we continue to monitor the situation closely, RAF Lakenheath has now returned to normal security and force protection measures.’
Just days earlier, the US military evacuated at least a dozen aircraft from RAF Mildenhall.
RAF Mildenhall is the home of the 100th Air Refuelling Wing and is the only permanent US refuelling wing in Europe. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft.
RAF Lakenheath, where three of the jets from Mildenhall relocated to, also issued a drone warning on November 9 urging locals and those living on the base to report sightings ‘immediately’ to security staff or police.
The base is home to the US Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing, known as the Liberty Wing, which has nearly 7,000 active-duty personnel, many of whom are based at the Suffolk base.
Both bases then raised their security to ‘Force Protection Condition Charlie’, the second-highest threat level, which is used when intelligence suggests a terrorist attack is likely.
Security has been heightened at US bases in Britain ever since an alleged Iranian terror plot was foiled in September at RAF Fairford.
A B-1B Lancer bomber pictured at the RAF Fairford, which was used to mount US strikes against Iran
The alleged plot saw a group of men approach the base in three white vans in the dead of night – police later found petrol, but no explosives, inside.
Two men were charged last month in relation to that incident, with prosecutors alleging one of them had tried to assist Iranian intelligence in Britain.
Although Tehran denied any role, the US withdrew all of its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford the following month.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister previously insisted that British bases were safe, adding: ‘The protection of our bases, both in the UK and across the world, is a top priority.’
But the Conservatives accused Andy Burnham of showing ‘weakness’ over the risk Iran posed to national security.
‘Labour cannot keep putting their heads in the sand,’ said Alicia Kearns, the Tory shadow foreign minister. ‘Iran continues to threaten Britain, hack our companies, and radicalise our citizens, yet this government responds with handshakes.
‘Until Burnham grows a backbone and takes defence seriously, our allies won’t trust us. Words mean nothing without real action.’
A bomb disposal robot deployed by the Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team checking the three white vans used by the suspects at RAF Fairford last month
Five men were pictured as police arrested them on terror charges this morning near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire
Mark Francois, a Tory defence spokesman, added: ‘Britain’s national security is under threat. Our adversaries are testing our resolve, our military infrastructure, and our relationships with our closest allies.
‘Yet Labour is showing weakness when Britain needs strength. And Burnham’s refusal to wake up to the threats we face is putting us in danger.’
Last month Andy Burnham said the activity at the Gloucestershire airbase was likely to have been coordinated in Iran.
But Tehran’s ambassador to the UK denied the accusations that it was involved in any plot targeting the base.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said in July that the Fairford base and any other base used to launch attacks against Iran were legitimate targets.
The aircraft at RAF Fairford were used to carry out strikes on Iran during the war which Donald Trump said is now militarily ‘effectively over’.
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