A commander with the US stealth fighter squadron on exercise in Britain said the aircraft would be a vital part of any joint air commander's "game plan".

The four F-117A Nighthawk planes are at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk for Operation Coronet Nighthawk.

They are the only aeroplanes the Americans bring to Britain which have their own armed guard.

Squadron Commander Dave Wooden

Squadron Commander Dave Wooden said: "The aeroplane and its characteristics are going to make it a very big part of any joint force air combat commander's game plan.

"We have to be ready - which is part of the reason why we are here.

"We want to be ready - being able to fly around, moving the aeroplanes around, being able to fly long distances to different locations."

The stealth fighters, from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, fly at subsonic speeds and can avoid radar detection.

The aircraft's main use in war is high-value targets and air-to-air fuelling gives them unlimited range.