RAF Lakenheath Police Helicopter Encounter

The Encounter

On November 22, 2024, shortly after 10 p.m., a National Police Air Service (NPAS) EC135 helicopter operating near RAF Lakenheath, a major U.S. military installation in Suffolk, England, reported an encounter with two fast-moving, unidentified objects. The helicopter crew described the objects as "targeting" their aircraft and pursuing them in what they characterized as an "unprovoked pursuit."

Emergency Response

The pilots were forced to execute emergency evasive action, performing a steep dive at approximately 165 knots (190 mph) to avoid collision. The unidentified objects reportedly matched the helicopter's speed for several minutes before disappearing from view. Infrared video footage captured during the 30-minute encounter showed objects executing a "corkscrew" maneuver and mirroring the helicopter's movements in patterns that military analysts later noted were inconsistent with any conventional aircraft.

Broader Context

The November 22 incident occurred within a larger pattern of drone sightings across three sensitive U.S. military bases in the UK. Between November 20-22, 2024, police logged approximately 20 drone sightings across RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell. Incident logs described encounters with "10-15 drones potentially into base airspace," and aircraft at all three bases were temporarily grounded due to airspace incursions. One witness using night-vision equipment reported observing five to six objects near a highway.

Official Explanation vs. Evidence

The UK Airprox Board initially concluded that the helicopter crew had misidentified the red flashing lights of a U.S. F-15 fighter jet. However, police logs obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests contradicted this explanation. Suffolk Police incident documentation stated that helicopter crew "were forced to take emergency evasive action in relation to a drone which came within dangerously close proximity to them." A military source who reviewed the full 30-minute infrared video stated that the objects' maneuvers—particularly the corkscrew pattern and their ability to match the helicopter's diving speed and trajectory—were "impossible for an F-15" or other known aircraft.

Credibility and Controversy

The discrepancy between official explanations and documented evidence has drawn significant scrutiny from researchers and observers in the UAP community. The incident remains contested, with the credibility of the helicopter crew and supporting police documentation standing against institutional attempts to explain the encounter through conventional means.