RAF Mildenhall has been a crucial part of US operations in Europe since 1951

For 75 years there has been a slice of America on the outskirts of a small market town in Suffolk.

RAF Mildenhall began life as a base for British bombers throughout the 1930s and World War Two before becoming a hub for US operations in Europe in 1951.

Residents in west Suffolk are used to the sight and sounds of huge planes. RAF Lakenheath, also used by the US military, is just 5.5 miles (8.8km) away from Mildenhall.

On Monday, reports emerged that almost all aircraft had left RAF Mildenhall due to an alleged threat from Iran. But what is the significance of the base?

A US Air Force aircraft was seen on the tarmac at RAF Mildenhall on Tuesday

The base is on the outskirts of the market town of Mildenhall in Suffolk.

Although the site belongs to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), it is operated by the US Air Force (USAF).

About 3,000 military personnel are stationed at the base, which is about 80 miles (130km) north of London.

The USAF's other UK bases include RAF Lakenheath, also in Suffolk - home to the 48th Fighter Wing operating F-15 and F-35 jets - and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which regularly hosts deployments of long-range American aircraft.

RAF Fairford was the target of an alleged Iran-linked plot in September.

The MoD and US Air Force have not confirmed why aircraft were removed from RAF Mildenhall.

Using public flight-tracking site Flightradar24 BBC Verify was able to see 10 USAF KC-135 tankers leaving RAF Mildenhall throughout Monday.

Two aircraft which departed the base on Monday morning (at 07:43 and 09:30 GMT) initially flew to US bases in Germany and Italy.

The first of these KC-135s flew to Spangdahlem air base in south-west Germany where it completed a series of aerial circuits before returning to Mildenhall late morning. At around 12:45 it flew east and landed at Spangdahlem.

The other aircraft was seen flying circuits over Aviano air base in north-east Italy during the morning - then flew on to Spangdahlem where it landed. Neither aircraft was tracked returning to Mildenhall.

Later in the day more KC-135s departed from Mildenhall. Two aircraft flew to Spangdahlem, one to the US base at Ramstein in Germany and four to Morón air base in southern Spain.

One aircraft, belonging to the Nebraska Air National Guard in the US, went to Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire. It's not clear if this was a planned stopover before the jet returned to its home base.

A map showing where the US aircraft flew to from RAF Mildenhall

The base is home to refuelling tankers and maintenance operations

Local politicians have called for a greater level of transparency after reports of a threat against RAF Mildenhall.

Ian Shipp, a Mildenhall town councillor, said: "I've had a number of people contact me this morning... they are concerned.

"They'd like to know what's happening, there's a lot of speculation - there's a lot of rumours going around on social media.

"I think they just need caution and we need a bit of clear advice and guidance as to what's happening.

Ian Shipp said he was "deeply concerned" by the reports

Nick Timothy, MP for West Suffolk, said "information is very tight at the moment" but he believed, based on reports he had seen, that there was no wider threat to the community.

"We know that the base has been operating at the highest threat level for a while.

"We know that Iran and Russia are targeting infrastructure of different kinds in Britain, including British and American military sites."

He urged people to "stay vigilant" and report anything suspicious to authorities.

However, he also encouraged the MOD and US Air Force "to communicate as freely as possible" within any national security constraints.

Roger Smith, a military aviation analyst from Lowestoft in Suffolk, has been tracking planes at the base.

He said "it appears that everything that is flyable is gone".

He told BBC Suffolk that removals from the site began on Monday "in some hurry" and continued leaving throughout the day.

Speaking about RAF Mildenhall, he said: "It looks as if it's pretty much bare.

"Everyone was mystified why they are suddenly deploying aircraft away from the base and why nothing seems to be happening at Lakenheath," he said.

The base was used as a bomber station during World War Two

The base opened as an RAF bomber station in 1934 and played a key part in World War Two before the US Air Force moved onto the base in 1951.

The official opening by King George V in October 1934 coincided with the Royal Aero Club's England-to-Australia air race, which saw 20 aircraft race from Mildenhall to Melbourne.

Within six hours of the official declaration of war on Germany in 1939, bombers took off from RAF Mildenhall.

Throughout the rest of World War Two aircraft including Lancaster, Stirling and Wellington bombers flew from the base.

They were involved in crucial operations, including some of the first night bombings of Germany in 1940, raids on Cologne in 1942, the last major raid against Berlin and D-Day on 6 June 1944.

The US took over the base in 1951, operating B-29 and B-50 bombers.

During the 1990s it became the main European refuelling tanker base, operating Stratotankers.

RAF Mildenhall has been used as a refuelling stop for Air Force One

The base is mostly used for refuelling and maintenance operations.

It is home to the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, the only permanent U.S. air refuelling wing in Europe.

Planes include KC-135 Stratotankers, the CV-22 Osprey, the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft and MC-130J Commando II, according to the RAF Mildenhall website, external.

It has been used as a staging area for aircraft and material bound for the Middle East.

Air refuelling tankers were "forward deployed" to the region during operations against Iran.

Flights carrying US presidents have often used RAF Mildenhall for refuelling, or as a base for Air Force One to land during visits to the UK.

In 2024, drones were spotted over RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk, sparking a major alert.

An investigation by The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a think-tank focusing on defence and security, said the "unmanned aerial vehicles" were likely launched from Russian-linked commercial vessels in the North Sea.

In 2020, the US Airforce reversed a decision that would have seen RAF Mildenhall shut in 2027.

The base was described as "crucial to operational efficiency" of US forces in Europe.

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