UK: Police Helicopter Encounters Unknown Objects Near RAF Lakenheath
A National Police Air Service helicopter crew reported being pursued by unknown objects during a drone investigation near RAF Lakenheath on November 22, 2024. The UK Airprox Board concluded the crew misidentified an F-15, but the helicopter crew and independent investigators dispute this finding.
Background
On November 22, 2024, a National Police Air Service (NPAS) EC135 helicopter was dispatched to investigate reported drone activity over US Air Force bases in Suffolk, England. The crew entered the area at 21:36 hours and at approximately 21:50-21:52 performed emergency evasive maneuvers after reporting objects within 100 feet of the aircraft.
Background The incident occurred during a wider wave of unexplained drone incursions over military installations in East Anglia between November 19 and December 6, 2024. RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell all reported unauthorized aerial activity during this period. The NPAS crew filed a Mandatory Occurrence Report on November 25, 2024.
Key Details The UK Airprox Board (UKAB) published its official assessment on June 27, 2025, concluding that the helicopter crew had misidentified a US Air Force F-15 based at Lakenheath. However, former senior detective Michael Morgan and other investigators raised significant objections: the helicopter TCAS system failed to identify the objects as conventional aircraft, the lighting configuration did not match an F-15, and a 30-minute infrared video recording captured by the crew reportedly shows objects with flight characteristics inconsistent with fighter jets. The full FLIR footage has not been publicly released.
Significance
This incident represents one of the most well-documented recent encounters between law enforcement and unidentified aerial objects over a NATO military base, with official explanations disputed by the witnesses themselves.