Key facts
- BBC Verify tracked 10 USAF KC-135 tankers leaving RAF Mildenhall throughout Monday, November 9, 2026, using Flightradar24.
- Two KC-135s flew to Spangdahlem air base in Germany, one to Ramstein in Germany and four to Morón air base in Spain.
- One KC-135 belonging to the Nebraska Air National Guard went to Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland.
- The UK Ministry of Defence and the US Air Force have not confirmed why aircraft were removed from RAF Mildenhall.
- About 3,000 military personnel are stationed at RAF Mildenhall, which is about 80 miles north of London.
- RAF Mildenhall is home to the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, the only permanent US air refuelling wing in Europe.
Ten US Air Force KC-135 tankers left RAF Mildenhall on Monday, November 9, 2026, after reports of an alleged threat from Iran, according to BBC Verify, which used public flight-tracking site Flightradar24 to follow the departures. The UK Ministry of Defence and the US Air Force have not confirmed why the aircraft were removed from the base in Suffolk, England.
Two aircraft departed on Monday morning, at 07:43 and 09:30 GMT, and initially flew to US bases in Germany and Italy. The first flew to Spangdahlem air base in south-west Germany, completed aerial circuits and returned to Mildenhall late morning before flying east and landing at Spangdahlem at around 12:45. The second flew circuits over Aviano air base in north-east Italy and then landed at Spangdahlem. Neither was tracked returning to Mildenhall.
Later on Monday, more KC-135s departed. Two flew to Spangdahlem, one to the US base at Ramstein in Germany and four to Morón air base in southern Spain. One aircraft belonging to the Nebraska Air National Guard went to Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland; BBC Verify said it was not clear whether this was a planned stopover before the jet returned to its home base.
RAF Mildenhall sits on the outskirts of the market town of Mildenhall in Suffolk, about 80 miles north of London. The site belongs to the Ministry of Defence but is operated by the US Air Force, and about 3,000 military personnel are stationed there. It is home to the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, the only permanent US air refuelling wing in Europe, and hosts KC-135 Stratotankers, CV-22 Ospreys, RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft and MC-130J Commando II aircraft, according to the RAF Mildenhall website.