US removes all Air Force bombers from RAF Fairford after suspected terror plot

The US Air Force has removed all of its bombers from RAF Fairford, it has revealed.

A Pentagon official confirmed the removal of the US Air Force's bombers, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s, on Sunday.

The Gloucestershire air base was the target of a suspected terror attack on 27 September. Five UK nationals in their mid-20s were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism close to the military site.

They have since been bailed, as has a UK-Iranian national who was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts on 1 October.

Three of the US planes landed in South Dakota on Sunday, anonymous US officials reportedly told The New York Times.

One of them said that more specific threat details had emerged in the 24 hours prior to the withdrawal of the bomber planes from the base.

Some planes and crew left while refuelling flights were still being arranged because of the urgency of the situation, according to the outlet.

A Pentagon official said on Sunday: "US Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements.

"While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all US bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have redeployed to their home stations in the United States.

"The airmen that operate America's bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s, remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities - including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States - anywhere, anytime."

Andy Burnham said on Wednesday there was a "strong indication that Iran played a part" in the earlier incident. Iran has denied any involvement.

Two Pentagon sources told Sky's US partner network NBC News that the rushed withdrawal of at least 12 bombers included several that had just arrived as part of a rotation to the base.

RAF Fairford is an important base for US military operations. It acts as the headquarters for the US 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron, according to the unit's website.

It serves as "the preferred bomber forward operating location in Europe for US Air Force Global Strike Command".

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Fairford's role in the Iran war

In March, a number of US B-1 Lancer bombers arrived at the military base as part of US operations after launching the Iran war.

The removal of the bombers comes as US President Donald Trump weighs options for his war on Iran - including new strikes - despite his initial promises to Americans that the campaign would last a matter of weeks.

"We have decisions that I'll make about Iran. Iran's been decimated. So the only question is - it'll either be the easy way, or the hard way," Mr Trump told reporters on Saturday as he left the White House for a rally in Ohio.

Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith told Sky News that the US decision to remove the bombers was a "very concerning development".

He said: "I don't think that move would make anyone in Britain feel safer in their beds tonight.

"We do rely to a large extent on US logistical air support, that has been a frontline base for the United States Air Force for a very, very significant period of time."

Mr Griffith added that "it can't be right that we are not able to protect assets like that of critical national interest".

Sky News' US correspondent David Blevins, said there are suggestions that the bombers' removal could signal a change in direction from the White House.

"Earlier this week President Trump suggested that the US and the UK had been working together on this counter-terror operation for some time," he said.

"If that's true, why has this decision only just been taken now? Some are suggesting it's because the US - under its commander-in-chief Donald Trump and the Pentagon - has decided to scale down the military operation in Iran and needed a reason to do so."

Defence and security editor Deborah Haynes said the US would "not have taken the decision lightly" adding: "Clearly there is still a threat ongoing around the base."

She said that the relationship between the UK and the US "remains very close" on an operational level.

"They're clearly wanting the UK base as their forward operating location to be able to conduct the operations," she added.

"If the decision's been taken that it's just not safe at the moment to have the bombers there - which clearly seems to have been the case, they've had to move them... you'd hope that at a working level there's understanding and trust in the counter terrorism police, the security services involved in this investigation."

(c) Sky News 2026: US removes all Air Force bombers from RAF Fairford after suspected terror plot