Why are UK military bases being used in Iran conflict?
The Prime Minister says the US can use British military bases for "limited defensive purpose".
Entity Intersection Graph
No entity connections available yet for this article.
Original Source
Why are UK military bases being used in Iran conflict? 27 minutes ago Share Save Chloe Harcombe West of England Share Save The US is likely to use RAF Fairford as one of its bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites, the BBC understands. Sir Keir Starmer announced last night that the UK had agreed to the request from the US . The base, located on the border of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, has been used by the US in the past to conduct long-range heavy bombing missions. The move comes after the US and Israel began attacking Iran on Saturday and President Donald Trump encouraged Iranians to remove their government. The UK has "played no role" in strikes in the Middle East, Sir Keir said. "You can't avoid being drawn in if you're a country like the UK," said the former British ambassador to Iran. What is RAF Fairford used for? Since it opened in January 1944, RAF Fairford has been used for various reasons. The United States Air Force 501st Combat Support Wing manages and supports operations and the site is predominantly used by USAF heavy bombers like the B-1B Lancer, the B-2A Spirit and the B-5H Stratofortress. It also routinely supports Bomber Task Force operations. Due to its long runway, Fairford was used as the test centre for Concorde aircraft until 1977. Hundreds of thousands of people descend on the site every July for the Royal International Air Tattoo , which is the largest military air show in the world. How has RAF Fairford been used in wars? During World War Two, the RAF's No.620 Squadron's fleet used the base for airborne forces operations which included parachute drops of troops and supplies and towing Airspeed Horsa assault gliders. Troop carriers and gliders from Fairford were used for the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944. The site was also used to lift British troops for Operation Market Garden in the German-occupied Netherlands in September 1944. In the Cold War, USAF Strategic Air Command units occupied Fairford and other RAF bases to...
Read full article at source