ABC News November 26, 2024

Unidentified drones seen over 3 British air bases used by US forces

WATCH: US Air Force says drones spotted near 3 bases in England

Unidentified drones have been spotted again over three British air bases used by the U.S. Air Force, officials confirmed Tuesday.

They were first seen last week over Royal Air Force Lakenheath, Royal Air Force Mildenhall and Royal Air Force Feltwell, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe said in a statement.

The "small unmanned aerial systems" varied in number, size and configuration, it added.

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The three bases are all located within the same area of eastern England between Cambridge and Norwich, about two hours north of London.

"To safeguard operational security, we do not discuss specific force protection measures, however we retain the right to protect our installations," the U.S. Air Force said.

Chris Radburn/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
In this June 16, 2020, file photo, the signage at the entrance to British Royal Air Force base RAF Lakenheath is shown near the village of Lakenheath in eastern England.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Air Force confirmed the situation was "still ongoing."

"I can confirm the situation is still ongoing and our units continue to monitor the airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities, and assets," the spokesperson said.

In a press briefing Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the drones are "being actively monitored," but have so far not had an impact on the bases or their residents.

"The bottom line is, it's something that we're going to take seriously. We're continuing to look into it, but as of right now, [it] has not had any significant mission impact," Ryder said.

ABC News' Matt Seyler contributed to this report.