US and NATO military bases in UK
Map of the location of NATO and us military bases in the UK
United States Air Force bases in UK United Kingdom:
- RAF Alconbury, Huntingdonshire
- RAF Croughton, Northamptonshire
- RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire
- RAF Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk
- RAF Mildenhall, Mildenhall, Suffolk
- RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire
Great Britain: AVB in the cities of Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Alconbury, Fairford (including periodic deployment of strategic bombers of the US air force), Crawton, Menwith hill, Feltwell, Molesworth, Welford, Waddington (AWACS AWACS aircraft of NATO).
Mildenhall Air Base - United Kingdom
The old British airfield, built back in 1934. In 1950, the Yankees arrived here and began a real frenzy-assessing the successful position of the "unsinkable aircraft carrier", the US air force immediately placed on Mildenhall wing of strategic bombers with nuclear weapons, as well as a couple of squadrons of refueling and reconnaissance vehicles. The sky of Albion Buzzed with B-52s, Stratotankers, and SR-71 blackbirds.
Currently, the 100th air tanker wing of the United States air force, special operations Command aircraft (MC-130 aircraft and MC-53 heavy helicopters), RC-135 scouts, and e-4 air command posts (based on a Boeing 747 passenger) are permanently stationed here.
In addition to Mildenhall, there are several other official US air force bases in the UK:
- Fafford (home of b-52 strategic bombers);
- Lakenheath (home of f-15E fighter-bombers);
- Alconbury (home of the 501st combat support wing);
- as well as Crouton, Feltwell, Flaingdales, Minwith hill, Molesworth and Welford air bases…
US conducts b-52 bomber drills in Europe
2019
The US air force sent 6 long-range B-52 bombers to the UK for a series of training events in Europe. Planes and more than 450 pilots arrived at the United Kingdom air force base in Fairford on Thursday, March 14, from Barksdale air force base in Louisiana.
NATO representative Oana Lungescu welcomed the deployment, saying: "This is a normal deployment, but it shows that the US nuclear umbrella protects Europe and demonstrates the unique capabilities that the US can bring to Europe in a crisis. The deployment of the B-52 is another sign that the United States is firmly committed to NATO."
The United States has deployed strategic bombers to Europe at least once a year since 2014. Since then, all three types of US bombers - B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers-have been trained at Fairford air base in conjunction with European NATO allies, including in exercises Baltops and Exercise Sabre Strike.
Fairford air force base was an American reserve base for bomber operations throughout Europe for decades. The current exercise marks the largest deployment of B-52 bombers in Europe since operation Iraqi freedom in 2003.
The B-52 has been used by the US air force since the 1950s and can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.