The United States has moved all of its B-1 bombers out of R.A.F. Fairford in southern England. The rapid withdrawal occurred this past weekend after intelligence reports of a new threat against the installation. The New York Times noted that the move is an incredibly rare occurrence for an allied air base in a peacetime country, signaling the seriousness of the situation.
According to The New York Times, the decision to pull the planes was made with such urgency that some crews departed while aerial refueling aircraft were still being scrambled to support the long journey back to the United States. At least three of the bombers had already reached their home base in South Dakota by Sunday. While the Pentagon’s European Command confirmed the departure, they declined to comment on the specific nature of the threats.
