Lakenheath, Mildenhall, and Fairford will all receive a portion of a $4.2 billion investment into U.S. bases in the UK, according to documents seen by The Guardian.
A presentation given by the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center in March 2026, seen by UK newspaper The Guardian, referred to upgrade plans for the main U.S. operating locations in the United Kingdom.
Part of this investment, it appears, will be into weapons storage facilities at RAF Lakenheath. This potentially includes upgrades to nuclear weapon storage. As The Aviationist has reported previously, it is almost certain that B61 nuclear bombs have now returned to RAF Lakenheath, following their removal in 2008.
RAF Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, one of the most combat experienced fighter wings in the U.S. Air Force. It currently comprises two squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagles and two squadrons of F-35A Lightning IIs. Last year it became evident that the U.S. Air Force has plans to withdraw the Strike Eagles in the near future, though it should also be noted that Lakenheath’s F-15 units continue to be extremely active and have recently taken delivery of more aircraft equipped with the new Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS).
Eagles Return!
RETRO 31-32 Flt 2x “LN” F-15E Strike Eagles return to RAF Lakenheath from Bangor ANGB, with their Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs) removed, and EPAWSS fitted to the tail.#usaf #f15e #strikeeagle #lakenheath #canon pic.twitter.com/W1GFdw1SLk
— Havoc Aviation (@havoc_aviation) June 29, 2026
Over the course of Operation Epic Fury, Lakenheath has deployed over half of its active F-15Es and F-35As to the Middle East. During this time, a number of the base’s F-15Es have been lost. This includes DUDE 44, which was shot down over Iran leading to the launch of daring rescue missions to recover the two crew members who ejected from the aircraft.
Lakenheath is apparently the largest recipient of this funding, though much of it appears to be allocated to projects which were previously known to be in the pipeline – upgraded weapons storage, accommodation, and security facilities.
RAF Mildenhall
Second on the list is RAF Mildenhall, just a few miles from Lakenheath. Mildenhall was famously slated for closure in the last decade, a decision later reversed. Given the extensive use of Mildenhall in supporting the U.S. military’s logistical movements throughout various conflicts, this policy reversal has indisputably proven its value. Unfortunately, in the years where the base was set for closure there was a lapse in investment and the base has spent years catching up and improving facilities that were previously assumed on the verge of being mothballed.
According to The Guardian, the upgrades now planned for Mildenhall focus on the base’s role supporting U.S. special operations. The 352nd Special Operations Wing (SOW) has flown from Mildenhall since 1995. It was previously known as the 352nd Special Operations Group until it became a full Wing in 2015 ahead of the eventually cancelled move to Germany.
Operating MC-130J Commando II and CV-22B Ospreys, the 352nd SOW are permanently on call for contingency operations throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. They are often among the first units to deploy during a crisis where their expertise might be required, and they have also flown a number of long-range special missions from Mildenhall itself. In 2024, the unit added the C-146A Wolfhound to its inventory for discreet taskings within Europe and to provide a more appropriate platform for non-combat liaison and transport roles.
$1.1 billion is designated for improvements at Mildenhall, said to include new facilities for special operations units to operate more cohesively and efficiently. Specifically, The Guardian says the plans will “enable these special forces to house their aircraft in one place”.
Whether this means new hangarage and aprons for the 352nd SOW, consolidating their currently dispersed operations around the airfield into one big, new complex, is not entirely clear. At present, the primary hard standings for the MC-130J and CV-22 fleets are on opposite sides of Mildenhall’s runway.
RAF Fairford
Unspecified upgrades, to the value of $500 million, are also planned for RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. As with Lakenheath, this may include upgrades which have been public knowledge for some time.
Fairford was placed in ‘care and maintenance’ status in 2010, essentially mothballing the airfield, but has become steadily more active since hosting its first subsequent strategic bomber deployment in 2014. This deployment turned into almost yearly appearances of B-52 Stratofortresses, B-1B Lancers, or B-2A Spirits (or a combination of the three), and then in 2019 the base once again became home to a permanent operational detachment of U-2 Dragon Lady intelligence aircraft.
At present, the base is home to a sizeable force of B-52s and B-1Bs which were deployed in support of Operation Epic Fury. The bombers flew daily sorties from Fairford to Iran while hostilities were at the peak. Now, during the shaky ceasefire, the bombers have continued to fly training missions from the base at a similar tempo. There appears to be little sign of the assembled bomber force going home en masse.
B-1B SERVO 11 blasting off from RAF Fairford late on Sunday night🔊 pic.twitter.com/cvnS8J6ZOT
— Saint1 (@Saint1Mil) June 30, 2026
Upgrades to Fairford might be aimed at better supporting these long term bomber deployments, though more pertinently they might include improved facilities to accommodate the B-21 Raider. The first B-21 is due to arrive at Ellsworth AFB next year, and Fairford will almost certainly be one of the first overseas locations to see the next generation bomber touch down. Of the three locations worldwide earmarked for forward deployed B-2 operations, with climate-controlled hangars to preserve the delicate radar-absorbent coatings, RAF Fairford is the only one outside of the Indo-Pacific.
There have also been plans that would see Fairford becoming a hub for unmanned intelligence aircraft like the RQ-4 Global Hawk, though aside from an initial proving flight this appears to have gone quiet. Indeed, even the still-classified ‘RQ-180’ – official designation unknown – has been seen to make its European debut in Greece, rather than from Fairford as many expected.
RAF Menwith Hill
Though nominally a Royal Air Force Station, RAF Menwith Hill is not and has never been an airfield. Constructed in Yorkshire in the 1950s, the site was envisioned from conception as a site for secretive intelligence work. Initially directly collecting signals intelligence, the focus would soon shift to providing ground station facilities for the comprehensive network of U.S.-operated intelligence satellites.
Some recent pics of RAF Menwith Hill Listening Station near #Harrogate #menwithhill #rafmenwithhill #northyorkshire pic.twitter.com/NyRB4rsn3W
— Yorkshire_Pics (@Yorkshire_Pics) April 10, 2024
Menwith Hill is set to receive $163 million – a small but still significant portion of the funding. It is undoubtedly one of the most important U.S. sites in the UK, and one of the examples of how significantly the U.S. relationship with the UK differs from its relationship with many of its European allies. As partners in the Five Eyes (FVEY) alliance – comprising the U.S. and UK, alongside Australia, Canada, and New Zealand – the nations have an unprecedented level of intelligence sharing.
U.S. Air Force and National Security Agency (NSA) personnel work at Menwith Hill alongside those from the Royal Air Force and the UK’s Government Communciations Headquarters (GCHQ). The base’s presence in the UK, and apparent involvement in some of the most controversial elements of U.S. intelligence gathering, is a major point of contention for British protesters.
Independence from America Day – upcoming protests!
📆 27 June
📍 RAF Lakenheath, 11am
📆 4 July
📍RAF Fairford, 1pm
📍RAF Menwith Hill, 3pm
More details: https://t.co/XvRCXK0zG5 pic.twitter.com/hXzTI0LSy5
— Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (@CNDuk) June 18, 2026
Notably, alongside flying stations Lakenheath, Mildenhall, and Fairford, the North Yorkshire base was among those specifically designated as no-fly zones when unidentified drones were thought to be disrupting U.S. operations in the UK.
