More than 12,000 US military personnel are stationed across at least 15 bases and facilities on British soil, according to a Pentagon document. These sites, many misleadingly named with “Royal Air Force” prefixes, are effectively under the control of the US president and play a critical role in American military and intelligence operations.
The bases have come under renewed scrutiny during the US conflict with Iran, as waves of military aircraft have taken off from locations such as RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The base’s long, reinforced runway supports heavy bombers like the B-1 and B-52, which have been used to carry “bunker buster” bombs. Up to four flights departed daily before a fragile ceasefire.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially resisted the use of US bases in the Iran conflict, later insisting they should be used only for “limited defensive” purposes. The Green party leader, Zack Polanski, has called for the closure of US bases in Britain as part of a wider dismantling of the military alliance.
Major bases include RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, a key communications hub for relaying top-secret material, and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, described as a “power projection platform” with around 4,000 American personnel. RAF Lakenheath, also in Suffolk, may now host some of the US nuclear arsenal and offers amenities such as a bowling alley and a Burger King.
With the exception of Lossiemouth in Scotland, all bases are in England. Lord Coaker, a British defence minister, told the House of Lords on 24 March that there were 12,300 American military and civilian employees across these sites, not including personnel at other UK facilities such as Nato sites.
