US military surge intensifies in the UK as WW3 fears explode | UK | News
The detection of a large influx of American military aircraft at British RAF bases has fueled speculation that President Donald Trump is preparing for new military operations following the surprising capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At least 14 C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft and two heavily armed AC-130J Ghostrider gunships have landed at three RAF bases in Suffolk and Gloucestershire since Saturday.
Globemasters are said to carry at least five MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and one MH-47G Chinook used in special forces operations. According to unconfirmed reports, the helicopters have reportedly been spotted in British hangars, raising questions about the purpose of this significant American military presence on British soil.
The plane arrives shortly after Maduro’s capture in Venezuela
The plane arrived at the bases shared by the Royal Air Force and the US Air Force shortly after American special forces captured Venezuelan President Maduro in a weekend raid. Although America’s activities in the United Kingdom seem to be in preparation for future operations, no details were provided through official channels.
Most Globemasters landed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, but a few also landed at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. Fairford is considered the main air bridge from the US to Europe, and flight data shows several Globemasters heading to Ramstein in Germany. An American KC-135R Stratotanker military aerial refueling aircraft also touched down in Mildenhall on Tuesday after flying from the United States.
Trump warned Iran as tensions escalate in the Middle East
Tensions are rising in the Middle East as the Iranian regime violently suppresses protests across the country. Three days ago, Trump warned that the United States would hit Iran “hard” if regime forces killed demonstrators. “America will come to their rescue… We’re locked, loaded and ready to go,” he wrote on social media, increasingly raising the possibility of American and Israeli attacks. According to Iranian activists, the death toll among demonstrators has since risen to 35 people.
Since the Venezuela attack, Trump has made further threats to annex Greenland, which he has long argued should come under American control to improve the security of the western hemisphere. He refused to rule out using military force to occupy the island, prompting the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark to issue a joint statement on Tuesday urging them to stop threatening his rule.
There is also speculation that US forces may use Britain as a platform to raid a sanctioned oil tanker being tracked from Venezuela and heading north into UK waters. British planes and those of other NATO allies are monitoring the ship, which hastily changed its flag to Russian to prevent the US from seizing it.
Globemasters and Ghostriders: A great combination
The Globemaster, one of the world’s largest transport aircraft, and the smaller but more powerful Ghostrider could potentially be used together in a covert US operation abroad. Troops can parachute into battle from Globemasters. The 174-ft carriers are powered by turbofan engines and can carry a range of vehicles with payloads exceeding 150,000 lbs. Ghostriders are armed with a 30mm Bushmaster cannon, 105mm howitzer and Hellfire missiles and can rain devastatingly heavy fire on targets.
Some of these aircraft took off from bases in Georgia and Kentucky, home to the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, among other units. The elite unit, better known as the Night Stalkers, operates a number of special forces helicopters and specializes in flying units into battle at night. The unit played a crucial role in the mission to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and take them to the United States.
It is also possible that the aircraft will be used to increase special forces operations against the Islamic State in Syria, following a wave of attacks by European powers, including the UK, over the past few days. The Ministry of Defense said it would not comment “on the operational activities of other nations.”
