Lakenheath Alliance for Peace has been in touch with news of Israeli F35I stealth fighters touching down in the UK:
Three Israeli F-35I “Adir” fighter jets arrived at RAF Mildenhall on Friday 16 January and departed on Sunday 18 January. At the same time more US F-15Es departed RAF Lakenheath headed for the Middle East.
This brings into question the role and legality of activities at these bases. They are technically RAF bases and subject to UK law and government policy. However, they’re home to exclusively US units.
Israeli stealth fighters
The three Israeli stealth fighters were identified by plane spotters and video has emerged of the planes landing. They were seen to depart eastbound along with a KC-46A refuelling plane on Sunday (18-01-2026).
The planes are believed to be the most recent batch of aircraft to be delivered to Israel which seem to be supplied in batches of 3 per year.
The Israeli F-35I has been used in attacks against Gaza, Yemen and Iran.
This raises question about the legality of these deliveries. The UK has currently suspended export of certain types of arms to Israel since:
there exists a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
RAF Mildenhall is a British base and is on UK sovereign territory and is therefore subject to the law and the will of the UK government. Yet a foreign power has flagrantly gone against the wishes of the UK government.
More F-15Es leave for Middle East
On Sunday 18 January twelve F-15Es from the 494 Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath left the base headed eastward and were again captured on video. They were followed by three C-17 transport planes which later landed in the Middle East.
They follow twelve F-15Es from 4th Fighter Wing based at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina that stopped over at RAF Lakenheath on their way to the Middle East.
Again this brings into question whether the activities at a UK air base are in line with government policy.
Seizure of Russian flagged tanker
It is interesting to note that RAF Mildenhall was also involved in the seizure of the tanker Bella 1 / Marinera with CV-22 tiltrotor planes (Ospreys) from the 7th Special Operations Squadron (based at RAF Mildenhall) being used in the action.
However, since RAF planes, some of which landed at RAF Mildenhall before the action, were actively involved we do not question that they were acting in accordance with UK government wishes.
Featured image via YouTube / Military Aviation Channel
By The Canary
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