Why RAF Mildenhall matters to the US Air Force

Sky News reported that flight-tracking data showed nine KC-135 tankers and three Ospreys leaving Mildenhall on the afternoon and evening of 9 November. The tankers flew to Germany, Spain and Scotland, while the Ospreys went to nearby RAF Lakenheath.

An anonymous US official told the Associated Press that aircraft had been moved because of a threat, but did not describe its nature or source. Some of the aircraft were permanently based at Mildenhall and others were in transit, the official said. Britain’s Ministry of Defence and the US Air Force have not confirmed why the aircraft were moved, according to the BBC.

The departure of the aircraft has drawn attention to a base that has supported American operations for more than 75 years. Owned by the British Ministry of Defence and operated by the US Air Force, Mildenhall is home to the 100th Air Refuelling Wing. According to the base, it is the only permanently stationed US air-refuelling wing in the European theatre.

Its tankers refuel other aircraft in flight, helping them travel and operate over longer distances. Mildenhall also supports maintenance and special operations and has served as a staging point for aircraft and equipment heading to the Middle East.

The site opened as an RAF bomber station in 1934 and supported British bombing operations during the Second World War. American forces arrived in 1950, when the 93rd Bomb Group deployed there; US Strategic Air Command took control of the station the following year.

The 100th Air Refuelling Wing was activated at Mildenhall in 1992. In 2020, the US reversed an earlier decision to close the base in 2027.