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Activists vandalize planes at UK's largest Royal Air Force base

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Activists vandalize planes at UK's largest Royal Air Force base
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Royal Air Force | Simple Flying

Two Royal Air Force military aircraft were targeted by pro-Palestinian activists during an unauthorized break-in at RAF Brize Norton early Friday morning. This incident has raised urgent questions about security at the UK’s largest airbase. Footage posted online by the group Palestine Action showed individuals riding scooters across the airfield and spraying red paint directly into the jet engine of one of the aircraft.

The Royal Air Force and the Ministry of Defence have launched a review of security measures at the Oxfordshire site, with Thames Valley Police leading the investigation. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as “disgraceful.” A defense source told the BBC they did not expect operations to be affected. RAF engineers are currently assessing the full extent of any damage.

The aircraft involved belong to the RAF’s fleet of Voyagers, which serve as air-to-air refueling and strategic transport platforms based on the Airbus A330-200. These aircraft have been used to refuel RAF Typhoon jets in operations over Iraq, Syria, and international missions over the Red Sea. They also operate out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for reconnaissance flights over Gaza.

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Palestine Action claimed responsibility for spraying red paint into engines and asserted that both tankers had been put “out of service.” The group also stated that crowbars were used for further damage, though this has not been independently verified. A senior RAF source told Sky News: "The claims made by the group who broke into RAF Brize Norton show a complete lack of understanding of how the RAF operates and what these aircraft do."

RAF Brize Norton is located in Oxfordshire and serves as a primary base for strategic air transport and air-to-air refueling, supporting domestic and global operations. It houses approximately 5,800 service personnel, alongside 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors. Despite existing security measures like perimeter fences, surveillance cameras, ground sensors, manned checkpoints, and periodic patrols, gaps in coverage have raised concerns about security at high-value military installations.

The Vespina aircraft used by UK Prime Minister for international travel was present but not targeted during this breach. Palestine Action described their actions as a direct response to UK's overseas military activity.

Voyager is noted as being among key assets within modern military aviation due to its range, capacity, flexibility, ability to carry passengers or cargo up to 291 people or be reconfigured for medical evacuation purposes.

Organizations Included in this History
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