US President Trump said publicly 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 that triggered the decision. All 12 aircraft have since been relocated in the United States.

Separately, the UK government signed a 190 million pound deal with Airbus to expand the RAF's A400M Atlas airlift fleet. The agreement will boost the RAF's strategic airlift capability. An RAF Poseidon aircraft also assisted in the rescue of 17 people from a stricken fishing vessel off Orkney, highlighting the aircraft's versatility beyond its primary surveillance mission.