The United States Air Force has confirmed the withdrawal of all its bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, marking the end of a notable deployment to the British base.
In a statement, the U.S. Air Force said: “U.S. Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements.”
It added: “While operational security considerations prevented us from confirming the movements of our forces and equipment in real-time, we can now confirm that all U.S. bombers previously deployed to RAF Fairford have returned to their home bases in the United States.”
The Air Force further noted that personnel operating the U.S. bomber fleet—including B-1, B-2, and B-52 aircraft—”remain ready to execute precision global strikes, including through operations launching from and returning to U.S. soil, anywhere, anytime.”
The withdrawal comes amid an ongoing security investigation near the base, which is used by U.S. forces. British authorities have described the investigation as complex and continuing.
Police detained five British men in their twenties on suspicion of terrorism and explosives-related offenses. All five were subsequently released on bail without charge.
The arrests followed the sighting of three vehicles heading toward the base, after police received two calls one from one of the detained men and the other from a local farmer.
Authorities have not indicated whether the security incident and the bomber withdrawal are connected. The investigation remains ongoing.
Source: Unews translated by Al-Manar English website