RAF Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing. The base is used by F-15E and 54 F-35A fighter/bombers.
As well as the base, the site is an ‘American’ small town with its own shops, golf course and football ground.
Nuclear Weapons
Although the USAF can “neither confirm nor deny” the presence of nuclear weapons at RAF Lakenheath it is suspected that nuclear weapons were based there, possibly with the B-29 in the 1950s1. Lakenheath has won a ‘nuclear safety award’ and in 2003 was part of a exercise Dimming Sun which simulated a USAF plane crashing with nuclear weapons on board2.
It is believed that 110 B61 nuclear weapons were deployed at Lakenheath3. However, these weapons were withdrawn by 20084.
Although there is no evidence that nuclear weapons are being moved to Lakenheath in the near future5,6, facilities are being built to house them. The F-35A has been flight tested with the B61-12 thermonuclear bomb.
Nuclear Accidents
On 27 July 1956, when a B-47 bomber crashed into a storage igloo beside the runway containing nuclear weapons. A senior US official was quoted as saying “it is possible that a part of Eastern England would have become a desert”7.
In January 1961 a plane carrying a 70kt nuclear bombs caught fire. It was later found that a flaw in the wiring of the hydrogen bomb could allow excessive heat to circumvent the weapon’s safety mechanisms and cause a nuclear detonation8.
The UK government was so worried about these accidents that it decided to take immediate action – deny everything and block US authorities from ordering evacuations if an accident occurred9.
Other Operations
Lakenheath has been involved in a wide range of operations and prides itself as being to “get out the door”10. After the Hamas attacks on the 7 October 2023, F-15Es from the Lakenheath landed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on the 13 October 2023 to bolster US presence in the region11, 12
In April 1986 planes from Lakenheath (F-111s) were involved in the bombing of Libya. Since they were denied overflight rights by France, Spain, and Italy, they needed to be refuelled several times from KC-135 planes from RAF Mildenhall and elsewhere13. One USAF planes was downed by a Libyan missile and about 60 casualties in Libya14.
After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 planes from Lakenheath were involved in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. On 25 August 25 1990, 18 F-111s took off from Lakenheath as the first USAFE unit to deploy. During the operation, they flew 2,500 combat sorties, dropping 7.3 million pounds of bombs. They were also involved in imposing the no-fly zone over Iraq in the 1990s and the bombing of Serbia15.
Planes from Lakenheath were also deployed multiple times in Afghanistan and Iraq. F-15Es from Lakenheath were involved in the friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2007 which killed three British servicemen16.
During the war in Libya in 2011 aircraft from Lakenheath were also involved with one of the planes being lost, although the crew ejected to safety17.
Lakenheath continue to be active and are also involved in the campaign in Syria. For example, in 2018 they flew over 2,000 missions while dropping more than 500 bombs18. In 2021, they shot down an ‘Iranian’ drone in Syria19 and in 2023 they also bombed Syria in response to attacks on US bases in the area20.
As well as joint exercises with NATO, planes from Lakenheath regularly do joint exercises with the Israeli and Saudi air forces.
May 24, 201722
As well as working with the Israelis, RAF also has regular contact with the Saudi Arabian airforce.
The visits may be to provide training in the use of the Small Diametre Bomb (GBU-39/b) which has been used in Yemen27 and Gaza28 both of which have raised humanitarian concerns.
Protests and Peace Camps
There have been many protests at Lakenheath over the deployment of nuclear weapons and the role of the base in various military conflicts.
In 1986 there was a large demonstration at the base after the bombing of Libya29.
The Afghanistan and Iraq wars also prompted protests. In February 2003 six people were arrested during an anti-war protest highlighting the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ at the base30. Then in March, some protesters managed to shut down the base by cycling onto the runway31.
Six people were arrested for a citizens weapons inspection at the base in October 202332.
In 2004 a four-day peace camp was held outside the base33.
The protests continued on a regular basis for the next few years. However, there has been little happening since the withdrawal of nuclear weapons in 2008 until the recent fears that they will be returning.
In 2006 eight protesters broke into the base and chained themselves to a munitions dump containing cluster bombs. This action is described in more detail in another post.
Since the concerns about nuclear weapons returning to Lakenheath, the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has had an ongoing campaign against US nuclear weapons being based in the UK again.
1 Royal Air Force Station Lakenheath, England; The Military Standard (http://www.themilitarystandard.com/afb/outside_us/lakenheath.php)
2 Operation Dimming Sun; Hansard 0 June 2003 vol 408 c43W (https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/2003/jun/30/operation-dimming-sun)
3 U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe; The Nuclear Information Project; Feb 2003 (http://www.nukestrat.com/us/afn/nato.htm)
4 U.S. Nuclear Weapons Withdrawn From the United Kingdom; Federation of American Scientists; 26 June 2008 (https://fas.org/publication/us-nuclear-weapons-withdrawn-from-the-united-kingdom/)
5 RAF Lakenheath: Plans progress to bring US nuclear weapons to Suffolk; BBC; 29 January 2024 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-68129189.amp)
6 Increasing Evidence that the US Air Force’s Nuclear Mission May Be Returning to UK Soil; Federation of American Scientists; 28 August 2023 (https://fas.org/publication/increasing-evidence-that-the-us-air-forces-nuclear-mission-may-be-returning-to-uk-soil/)
7 The Hidden Cost of Deterrence: Nuclear Weapons Accidents 1950-88; Bulletin of Peace Proposals Vol. 20, No. 1 March 1989 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/44481410)
8 Nuclear weapons: an accident waiting to happen; The Guardian; 14 Sep 2013 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/14/nuclear-weapons-accident-waiting-to-happen)
9 UK hid ‘nuclear accident threat’; BBC; 24 July 2003 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3094121.stm)
10 Lakenheath’s On-Call F-15s Respond to Rapid Demands for Deployments; Air & Space Forces Magazine; 16 September 2019 (https://www.airandspaceforces.com/lakenheaths-on-call-f-15s-respond-to-rapid-demands-for-deployments/)
11. F-15s Land in Middle East as Austin Visits Israel and Touts ‘Augmented’ USAF Presence; Air And Space Forces; 13 October 2023 (https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-15s-middle-east-usaf-hamas-israel-war/)
12 Twitter( Roughly 24 F-15E Strike Eagles with the 494th Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Air Force stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the U.K. have arrived at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan to Bolster the U.S. Posture and Enhance Air Operations throughout the Middle East.); OSINTdefender; 14 October 2023 (https://x.com/sentdefender/status/1713015922221330505?s=20)
13 Raid on Libya: Operation Eldorado Canyon; USAF; (https://media.defense.gov/2012/Aug/23/2001330097/-1/-1/0/Op%20El%20Dorado%20Canyon.pdf)
14 Air Raid Toll Comes Home to Gaddafi; The Age; 17 April 1986 (https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19860417&id=bnczAAAAIBAJ&sjid=65IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3105,4597235&hl=en);
15 1990s; Royal Airforce Lakenheath (https://www.lakenheath.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Factsheet-Display-Page/Article/297487/1990s/)
16 ‘Flawed’ actions led to fatal ‘friendly fire’ bombing; BBC; 26 April 2010 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8645456.stm)
17 U.S. F-15 fighter jet down in Libya, crew “safe”; CNN; 22 March 2011 (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-f-15-fighter-jet-down-in-libya-crew-safe/)
18 Lakenheath squadron wins honors after flying 2,000 missions against Islamic State last year; Stars and Stripes; 3 September 2019 (https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/lakenheath-squadron-wins-honors-after-flying-2-000-missions-against-islamic-state-last-year-1.597041)
19 ANALYSIS: USAF F-15E shoots down Iranian drone over Syria; Key Aero; 25th August 2021 (https://www.key.aero/article/analysis-usaf-f-15e-shoots-down-iranian-drone-over-syria)
20 US strikes Iran-affiliated sites in eastern Syria in response to attacks on US bases in Middle East; Janes; 14 November 2023 (https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-strikes-iran-affiliated-sites-in-eastern-syria-in-response-to-attacks-on-us-bases-in-middle-east)
21 Maintainers shine during Israeli Blue Flag exercise; Air Force; 5 December 2013 (https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/467660/maintainers-shine-during-israeli-blue-flag-exercise/)
22 USAF F-15s complete 2nd Israeli ‘Blue Flag’; Royal Airforce Lakenheath; 30 October 2015 (https://www.lakenheath.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/727597/usaf-f-15s-complete-2nd-israeli-blue-flag/)
23 VIDEO: Lakenheath F-15Es Take Part in Israeli Exercise; Military Aviation Review; May 24, 2017 (https://militaryaviationreview.com/video-lakenheath-f-15es-take-part-in-israeli-exercise)
24 RETRO71 flight of four Saudi Boeing F-15SAs arrived at RAF Lakenheath 18 November 2020; Scramble; 19 November 2020 (https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/retro71-flight-of-four-saudi-f-15sas-arrived-at-raf-lakenheath)
25 Two Saudi F-15s; Fighter Control; 29 March 2019 (https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=174070)
26 Former F-15D’s On Delivery To Israeli Air Force Via RAF Lakenheath; Rapcon; 14 September 2016 (https://rapcon.org/?p=1970)
27 Arms supplied by US, UK killed civilians in Yemen, report finds; Defence News; 11 January 2023 (https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2023/01/11/arms-supplied-by-us-uk-killed-civilians-in-yemen-report-finds/)
28 A Times Investigation Tracked Israel’s Use of One of Its Most Destructive Bombs in South Gaza; The New York Times; 21 December 2023 (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-bomb-investigation.html)
29 Tension Over Libya: Thousands Take To The Streets; Anti-U.S. Protests Spread As Europeans Criticize Raid; New York Times; 20 April 1986 (https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/20/world/tension-over-libya-thousands-take-streets-anti-us-protests-spread-europeans.html)
30 Peace protesters arrested after air base demo; Cambridge Evening News, 4 February 2003 (https://www.cambridgeclarion.org/local_reports/lakenheath_cen_4feb2003.html)
31 Arrests made after air base break-in; East Anglian Daily Times; 11th March 2003 ( https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21321333.arrests-made-air-base-break-in/)
32 Over 100 Demonstrate against Lakenheath Nuclear US Base; Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist); No. 96, October 6-7, 2003 (https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wdie-03/d03-96.htm)
33 Activists gather at RAF Lakenheath to protest nukes; Stars and Stripes; 7 August 2004 (https://www.stripes.com/migration/activists-gather-at-raf-lakenheath-to-protest-nukes-1.22514)
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