Airbases drone inquiry ends without any suspects

An investigation into drone sightings over US airbases has not identified any suspects, the BBC has learned.

A major alert followed a US Air Force (USAF) announcement that its personnel had spotted unmanned aerial vehicles over the bases in Norfolk, Suffolk and Gloucestershire in November 2024.

The conclusion of the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) inquiry was confirmed in a Freedom of Information request. A spokesman said: "We take the safety and security of our personnel, assets and operations extremely seriously."

The USAF said it would not "discuss specific force protection measures".

The MDP investigation was prompted by a string of sightings around RAF Feltwell, Norfolk, and RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, both in Suffolk, on 20-22 November 2024. There were also sightings at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

Many were reported by military personnel, according to police call logs.

Swarms of up to 20 drones at a time were reported and some were said to be flying low over runway approaches.

At the time, the USAF announced that "small unmanned aerial systems continue to be spotted" in the vicinity of the airbases.

A purported near-miss with a police helicopter sent to investigate the reports turned out to be a US F-15 fighter jet.

Despite the sightings, no verified footage of the drones around the bases has emerged – at least, not in the public domain.

It comes as new figures revealed the number of drone incidents near military bases in the UK has doubled in the past year.

There were 266 recorded events in 2025, a rise from the 126 reported in 2024, according to MoD figures obtained by the BBC.

Government sources said that with some of those incidents they "can't rule out hostile state actors".

Defence Secretary John Healey said: "The doubling of rogue drones near military sites in the UK in the last year underlines the increasing and changing nature of the threats we face."

Retired police officer Mike Morgan, from Gravesend, Kent, submitted the FoI request to the MDP asking if its investigation had been completed and what the result was.

Its response, dated 27 January, was: "The investigation is concluded... no suspects were identified."

Morgan told the BBC he found the conclusion "perplexing" and that his efforts to obtain information about the inquiry had been rejected on the grounds of national security.

He continued: "While I appreciate some of the sightings may have been misidentified aircraft, including F15s from Lakenheath, I wonder why the MoD Police are so reluctant to provide even the most basic information about their inquiry?

"I have an open mind about the November 2024 sightings, but are the MoD embarrassed about spending so much time and money on sightings of misidentified aircraft, or is there something else we are not being told?"

The MoD would not be drawn on Morgan's comments.

A spokesperson said: "We take the safety and security of our personnel, assets and operations extremely seriously. We maintain multi-layered security measures, including counter-drone capabilities which can identify and facilitate the capture of drones.

"Following recommendations by the Strategic Defence Review, the UK is spending £4bn on boosting our drone capabilities, and over £1bn on strengthening integrated air and missile defence to protect the UK homeland."

The MoD said it would not comment on the sensitivity of establishments or specific security arrangements.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.