The U.S. Air Force abruptly relocated more than a dozen aircraft from RAF Mildenhall in eastern England amid an emerging security threat, U.S. officials confirmed Tuesday.
The United Kingdom.
The move marks the second major relocation of U.S. military aircraft from Britain in less than two months.
In early October, the Air Force pulled heavy bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after British counterterrorism police stopped three suspicious vans headed toward the base Sept. 27.
RAF Mildenhall is home to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, the only permanently based U.S. tanker wing in Europe.
Its KC-135 Stratotankers support allied aerial refueling and long-range strike missions across the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington routinely repositions military forces.
"We are constantly repositioning forces around the world for a variety of reasons," Rubio told reporters when asked about the evacuation.
A 10 Downing Street spokesperson said British air bases remain secure and that London and Washington continuously share intelligence on potential threats.