Approximately 60 British soldiers, including counter-drone experts, have been dispatched to protect three air bases utilised by the US Air Force in the UK following a series of unusual drone sightings.
The military personnel will also assist in identifying those controlling the unmanned aerial vehicles, amid concerns that these mysterious flights could be part of a "coordinated" operation.
Civilian police, supported by Ministry of Defence police, have launched an investigation into the drone activity."It seems awfully coordinated," a defence source said after a number of drones were again spotted overnight over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.The sightings came after similar drone movements over the same sites between Wednesday and Friday last week - a highly unusual occurrence.
A second defence source said about the drone activity: "It's odd. Very weird."
A spokesperson for the US Air Forces in Europe confirmed a number of drones had been spotted on Monday "during nighttime hours".
"The number fluctuated and varied between the bases over the night," the spokesperson said.
Asked whether the drones overnight and last week had been deemed hostile, the spokesperson said: "Since November 20 there has been no impact to residents or infrastructure and [they] have not been identified as hostile.
"However they are still continuously being monitored to ensure the safety and security of the installations."Follow Manchester Today on Facebook, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Newsdesk@ManchesterToday.org.uk
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