The United States has removed all its Air Force bombers deployed to the United Kingdom following a new security threat at the base where the aircraft were stationed.

The bombers, which were stationed at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, have been redeployed to their home stations in the United States. The Pentagon confirmed the movement on Sunday, October 4, 2026.

In a statement, a Pentagon official said operational security had prevented real-time confirmation of the movement of assets. The official said, “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 re-deployed to their home stations in the United States.”

According to reports, about a dozen B-1 Lancer bombers had been stationed at RAF Fairford, which is the only forward operating location in Europe for US heavy bombers. The base has been used by the US to launch strikes as part of its operations against Iran in recent months.

The redeployment comes days after British counter-terrorism police arrested a number of individuals in connection with an alleged plot targeting the airbase. On September 27, police arrested five British nationals in their 20s on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after three vans were found near the base.

The men were later released on bail. Police said no improvised explosive devices were found, but a quantity of petrol was recovered.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had earlier said there were “strong indications” that Iran was involved in the incident, while US officials also suggested a foreign actor may be behind the plot. Iran has denied involvement.

The US military has said its bomber force remains ready to deliver precision strikes from the United States whenever needed.