US President Trump said publicly that a security threat caused the removal of American B-1B Lancer bombers from RAF Fairford in England. Reports from the BBC, Financial Times, and The Telegraph point to a planned Iranian drone attack as the reason that triggered the decision. All 12 aircraft have since flown back in the United States.
Separately, the UK government finalized a 190 million pound deal with Airbus to add to the RAF's A400M Atlas airlift fleet. The agreement is set to improve the RAF's transport and logistics capacity. An RAF Poseidon aircraft also helped with the rescue of 17 people from a stricken fishing vessel off Orkney, demonstrating the patrol plane's broader role beyond its primary surveillance mission.