The UK Defence Journal understands that damage sustained during a protest at RAF Brize Norton has left two RAF Voyager engines with shortened cleared life, forcing the RAF to bring forward major maintenance on a key element of the UK’s air mobility fleet.
Responding to questions from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed that both engines affected in the June incident have been repaired and reinstated. He said that “whilst the engines damaged on 20 June 2025 have since been inspected and returned into service, their reduced cleared life will necessitate a significant overhaul within the next two years.”
Pollard also stated that the Ministry of Defence cannot yet quantify the financial impact, explaining that “the financial impact of the incident will not be known until that overhaul is complete, and it is known which parts will need to be replaced.”
The MoD did not state that the Voyager fleet’s readiness has formally fallen, but the requirement to accelerate heavy maintenance introduces pressure on an already lean strategic fleet. The RAF operates just fourteen Voyagers to cover simultaneous tasks ranging from air-to-air refuelling for fast jets to long-range transport of personnel and equipment. Any unplanned reduction in engine life complicates long-term availability planning and increases costs.
Cartlidge also asked whether legal action would be pursued against those responsible. Pollard reiterated that charging decisions sit with civilian authorities, saying “it is for the investigating authority to make determinations about any charges.”
Background to the protest group’s claims
Palestine Action has previously argued that RAF Brize Norton supports Israeli combat operations, citing this as justification for targeting RAF Voyager tankers. The group claimed that RAF aircraft refuel Israeli fighter jets, presenting the sabotage as an attempt to obstruct those operations.
As UK Defence Journal has reported, the RAF’s Voyager KC2 and KC3 tankers use the probe and drogue method of aerial refuelling. This system requires a flexible hose with a drogue basket, and receiving aircraft must have a refuelling probe that connects with the drogue. It is used by platforms such as the Typhoon and F35B across the UK and NATO.
Israeli fighter aircraft including the F15 and F16 use the flying boom method. This is a fundamentally different system involving a rigid, steerable boom extending from the tanker into a receptacle in the receiving aircraft. Israel employs converted Boeing 707 tankers and KC46 aircraft which carry flying boom systems. They cannot receive fuel from RAF Voyagers under any circumstances.
The stated justification for the sabotage was therefore based on a claim that is technically impossible. That disconnect is now central to the policy discussion about the group’s methods. The action caused material harm to critical air mobility assets and reduced engine life on two RAF aircraft, and it did so on a pretext that had no engineering validity.
That sounds like a strong basis for really going for the criminals who are assaulting our national security.
We have put the traitor Nathan Gill away for 14 years minus remission for a Guilty Plea.
Let’s hope that these sentences can be similar, plus personal liability for damage done – pour encourager les autres.
And it should be a big wake up call to improve security on all base sites as this should never have happened in the first place! People have been asleep at their screens!
Hmmm…evidently a kinder, gentler, more understanding RAF avoids the language of USAF postings at MOBs: Use of Deadly Force Authorized. Dunno, generally seems to diminish the ardour of protest movements…🤔😉