US President Trump confirmed that a security threat prompted 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 for the withdrawal. All 12 aircraft have since been relocated in the United States.

Separately, the UK government finalized a 190 million pound deal with Airbus to grow 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, showing the range of tasks the RAF handles beyond its primary surveillance mission.