Basic Questions

Whereas there are no foreign bases on any inch of United States territory and the mere concept of them would be unthinkable, Mark Curtis writes:

Keir Starmer has given his approval for Donald Trump’s US to attack Iran using British military bases.

But the UK government imposes a considerable veil of secrecy over the US use of these bases, keeping the British public in the dark about how its territory is used in foreign wars.

Former Labour Party leader and independent MP Jeremy Corbyn said: “From transferring equipment to refuelling planes to surveillance flights, we deserve to know the truth about exactly what these military bases are and have been used for, whether to benefit the US or Israel or both.

“There is a reason why the government is so reluctant to tell us: they know that this information could tip British complicity in genocide and war into active participation. We will continue to push for a full, public and independent inquiry into the use of these bases.” 

Here are some of the things we need to know about the US military and intelligence presence in the UK and British territories.

Where exactly are they?

We don’t know where all US military personnel in Britain are. Whenever governments answer questions about the US presence in the UK, they mention major bases which the US Air Force operate – such as at Fairford, Mildenhall and Lakenheath – but have also referenced “undisclosed locations”.

The government also says that, in addition to the major air bases with a US presence, there are six other designated Nato facilities in the UK, where US military personnel can also be located.

But Declassified recently found a US War Department document highlighting 22 American military sites in Britain, some of which successive UK governments have failed to mention. It is not clear how many of these 22 sites are currently hosting US military personnel.

Declassified has identified other locations in Britain that are likely to host US military or intelligence personnel, bringing the total to 24.

Even this may not cover the full scale of the US military presence in the UK, since it is believed that US military personnel are frequently, if not permanently, stationed at still more sites, such as the key Royal Navy bases at Coulport, Devonport and Faslane.

Keir Starmer’s government is also refusing to tell parliament how many US forces are located at each of its major bases in Britain. The reason it gives for not saying is that “we are in a new era of threat that remains more serious and less predictable”.

The government also refuses to say where the US has any navy, army or marine detachments in the UK. Incredibly, it says “the overall US force composition across its UK footprint is a matter for the US”.

Who really owns the US military sites in Britain?

This is also unclear. The US War Department document we found states that, as of 2024, it owned, leased or otherwise controlled 22 military sites in Britain, and that these are worth £11bn. The UK government contends that the War Department owns no facilities in Britain, making the exact terms of the US presence even more unclear.

The US document, for example, said its War Department owns 12 buildings covering over 39,000 square feet at RAF Oakhanger in Hampshire, which is a satellite ground station.

Yet in answer to a recent parliamentary question, the MoD said it owns RAF Oakhanger.

The government also says it owns MOD Bicester, which is another site where the US War Department says it holds 261 buildings. What are the terms and conditions governing these holdings?

What military operations does the US conduct from Britain?

Governments have refused to give us the full picture. The standard response is: “The Ministry of Defence does not comment on the operational activity of other nations”, even when they’re operating in Britain.

When the US bombed Iran in June last year, the MoD refused to say if US aircraft based in Britain had been involved.

The MoD also refuses to say if the US has used its British bases to transport arms to Israel.

What US military operations need UK approval?

Britain has a vague agreement with the US on the use of British bases, going back to a 1952 communiqué between prime minister Winston Churchill and president Harry Truman.

This mentions “the understanding that the use of these bases in an emergency would be a matter for joint decision by His Majesty’s Government and the United States Government in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time.”

It is not clear if this “understanding” has any basis in law or what the definition of an “emergency” is. Successive UK governments routinely say that “joint decision-making is needed” on the use of British bases.

A US attack on a foreign country from Britain is said by the UK government to need Whitehall’s approval. But what other US military operations need approval? The US has been using its UK bases to build up its military forces for a possible attack on Iran. Does this need Starmer’s approval?

When asked recently which types of military operations undertaken from US-operated bases in the UK require approval, the government responded in vague terms by saying: “Permissions to utilise UK military bases are considered on a case-by-case basis and the decision to grant permission is dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity.”

On what basis does the UK government approve or disapprove of US military operations?

The government refuses to reveal all the factors it takes into account in approving or disapproving of the US use of its British bases.

When asked about this in January, the MoD said it won’t disclose the factors it considers “due to operational security reasons”. It said only that it considers “the legal basis and policy rationale for any proposed activity”.

It has also said that granting permission is “dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity”.

The Conservative government said in 2021 that use of British bases would need to be “in accordance with UK law and the UK’s interpretation of relevant international law”.

When the UK approved a US attack on an ISIS training camp in Libya in 2016, the then defence secretary said that “permission was granted once I was satisfied with the legality of the operation”.

What UK laws govern the US use of the bases?

This is not entirely clear. Successive governments have told parliament that the US use of British bases is covered by three agreements: the Nato Status of Forces Agreement 1951, the Visiting Forces Act 1952, and the UK-US Cost Sharing Agreement 1973.

However, in a recent answer to a parliamentary question, the MoD added that “Classified agreements also apply in some areas, reflecting the sensitive nature of specific operational activities conducted at these facilities”.

When Corbyn recently asked the government what the legislative basis is for the US use of force from bases in the UK being subject to joint decision-making, the MoD refused to answer directly.

It said: “Permissions to utilise UK military bases by foreign partners are considered on a case-by-case basis. This includes engagement with US partners on the nature and purpose of their activity. For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military operations”.

Are UK bases used in US drones strikes?

After a drone strike ordered by Trump killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020, a Labour MP asked the MoD whether Yorkshire spy site Menwith Hill – which is known to play a role in US drone operations – had any role.

The government refused to say, citing a “longstanding policy” of not commenting “on the details of the operations carried out at RAF Menwith Hill in providing intelligence support”. Menwith Hill is believed to be the US’s largest foreign spy base.

Similar secrecy was imposed in 2022 when the government was asked about the role of RAF Croughton, another major military and intelligence base used by US forces in Northamptonshire, in facilitating US drone operations.

Amnesty International found in 2018 that four US bases in Britain – Menwith Hill, Molesworth, Croughton and Digby – placed a key role in deadly US drone strikes overseas.

To what extent does the US military use British civilian airports?

The Conservative government admitted in 2023 that the US military “routinely” uses civilian airports in Britain “for operational, training or transitory purposes”. “This is a testament to the depth of our defence partnership with the United States”, the government claimed.

Now, Starmer’s administration has drawn a veil of secrecy over this issue, refusing to comment on the US use of civilian airports.

Are US arms and military equipment now being transported through these airports?

Is Britain hosting US nuclear arms?

It is believed the US moved nuclear arms to its base at Lakenheath in Suffolk last summer. But British policy is “neither to confirm nor deny” this.

When asked in parliament what restrictions UK governments place on the US deployment of nuclear arms, the government recently responded by mentioning two agreements between the US and UK – the Nato Status of Forces Agreement (1951) and the Visiting Forces Act (1952).

Yet neither of these agreements explicitly mentions nuclear weapons.

It follows that neither do UK governments tell parliament what the cost of storing US nuclear arms is.

What are US intelligence personnel doing in Britain? British governments impose a blanket ban on telling the public anything about US (or British) intelligence personnel in the UK.

“Details relating to US intelligence personnel are classified… to protect national security”, is the standard response.

This is despite a substantial US intelligence presence in Britain, at sites such the US National Security Agency facilities at Menwith Hill and at the GCHQ spy base at Bude, a seaside town in north Cornwall. GCHQ doesn’t acknowledge on its website that US personnel work from Bude.

Governments also refuse to provide “any details” of US intelligence personnel at its base in Croughton, where hundreds of such US personnel are believed to be stationed.

The government even refuses to say what agreements between the US and the UK govern the presence of US National Security Agency personnel in Britain.

What are the costs and benefits of the bases?

Despite the MoD labelling the US bases in Britain as “RAF” sites, it is the US military that runs them and is “responsible for bearing the cost for the operational running of the bases it occupies such as utilities”.

It is not clear, however, how much the running costs are for Britain.

When asked in parliament about the running costs of three bases this year, the MoD replied by saying the information “is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost”.

In 2016, the government did provide figures for the running costs of three US bases (Menwith Hill, Croughton and Lakenheath). This came to £88m over three years, for which the US was to reimburse Britain for the “vast majority” of the costs, the government said.

The UK government is also unable to say what the local economic benefits of the bases are to Britain. When recently asked about this in parliament, the MoD said it “has not formally evaluated the economic benefit to the UK of the United States Visiting Forces (USVF) and therefore a verified financial estimate is not available”.