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 for the withdrawal. All 12 aircraft have since returned to bases in the United States.

Separately, the UK government entered into a 190 million pound deal with Airbus to expand the RAF's A400M Atlas airlift fleet. The agreement is expected to strengthen the RAF's ability to move troops and cargo. 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.