What is being officially described as “vandalism” at RAF Brize Norton is being viewed by many as something far more serious — a deliberate act of sabotage against operational military aircraft.

The incident, which took place on Wednesday, involved members of the group Palestine Action breaching security at Britain’s largest airbase and damaging two RAF Voyager aircraft.

Using electric scooters to access the base, the activists sprayed red paint into the aircraft engines with repurposed fire extinguishers and reportedly used crowbars to inflict further damage. Red paint was also spread across the runway. The activists evaded immediate arrest.

The Ministry of Defence condemned the incident. A spokesperson said: “We strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets. We are working closely with the police who are investigating. Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain. They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.”

Palestine Action claimed responsibility, stating that “by decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people.” The group further alleged that: “From Cyprus, British planes collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza.”

This claim is factually inaccurate on multiple counts. The United Kingdom is not supplying weapons to Israel for use in Gaza, and the RAF Voyager aircraft in question are not involved in operations supporting the Israeli military. Defence sources stress that these tankers primarily support Operation Shader, the UK’s long-running mission against Islamic State (Daesh) in Iraq and Syria. In addition, the aircraft contribute to Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions, providing aerial refuelling for RAF Typhoons that protect British airspace.

Despite claims, British tankers cannot refuel Israeli jets

Moreover, the technical claim that RAF tankers are refuelling Israeli aircraft is not only unsubstantiated but physically impossible. RAF Voyagers use a probe-and-drogue system for aerial refuelling, which is compatible with UK and NATO aircraft. In contrast, Israeli fast jets require flying boom refuelling, a fundamentally different method used by US and Israeli tankers. The two systems are incompatible.

A source familiar with RAF deployments described the attack as “utterly pointless,” noting that the group’s assumptions demonstrate a lack of understanding about how UK military aviation functions. “The aircraft targeted are not used in support of Israeli forces. The UK operates independently and Israel has no requirement for British tankers – they operate their own fleet.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack disgraceful, writing: “The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful. Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.”

Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois warned of the wider implications, stating: “There are also serious questions for the MoD to answer about how ‘protesters’ – who might even have turned out to be armed terrorists – were able to gain access to what is supposed to be a secure RAF airbase.”

Image via Palestine Action.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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56 COMMENTS

  1. Unbelievable that these morons were able to get access to one of our most important air bases. The Raf Regiment doesn’t provide security here, so where were the police or MPs? We really need to pull our pants up.

    • Agreed
      We are a joke with our pants definetely ay half mast
      No base security
      Where is the RAF regiment ? or even any security?
      Vandalism NO Misguided ? Terrorism comes to mind or hopefully not paid for another government with a grey attack
      These boys need to be stopped whoever they are and prosecuted

      Afterthought
      So the Voyagers are I hope (mostly) at at civilian airport in Scotland are open to attack due to the resurfacing of RAF Brize Nortonand open to attack? I hope the powers have put in basic defence ?????

    • Agree – Brize is our single point of failure – one of our centres of gravity. Force projection fails without Brize. This is an astonishing failure with the buck stopping at Stache.

    • Shows how weak our national defences are. Ukraine has shown that the world how to deal with air bases. A serious look at hard security need to be considered, and less reliance on CCTV .

  2. What are the chances of the MOD announcing, “The Commanding Officer and Security Officer have been removed from their posts following a ‘loss of confidence’ in them at the MOD”?
    No, I thought not.

    • That bloody well should happen- the UK homeland base security, resilience and hardening needs urgent attention- the Tories are at fault for the rot setting in but now it has set in we need to get a grip and PDQ
      Base commander should be sacked
      The security chief dismissed
      We’ve discussed this matter on here extensively and all said our lack of dispersal and lack of any obvious robust concentric rings of security is deeply worrying.
      Each high priority miilitary site should have an integrated air defence system including SHORAD, DIrect energy weapons, Radar guided guns, ECM/ECCM
      Then an outer perimeter guarded and patrolled by dogs, armed personnel and drones, then a roving patrol on the intermediate perimeter and then robust patrols on the internals of the base with stop and search and challenge with armed guards and dogs anything of suspicious activities- backed up by an alerting system and a response force to snuff out any intruder that gets onto the base or attempts to penetrate the outer and inner perimeters.
      FFS get a grip MOD and armed forces. You wouldn’t think we are on a pre war footing- meaning a war could break out at any moment and we’ve just been caught with our pants down.
      The perpetrators need to be arrested- or better shot dead as terrorists and their organisation snuffed out. No time for lefty wishy woshy response- round them up- deport any not entitled to be in the country and the rest can either go to jail or be shot dead for resisting arrest and terrorism charges.
      Too extreme?- I don’t think so these people are the enemy within, they detest everything about the UK and are Islamist in outlook- they are just wrapping it up in a Pro Palestinian fudge of BS- remember it was the Palestinians that shielded and supported HAMAS, must have known about their planned assault on Israel and then celebrated in the streets when it became clear they had kidnapped hundreds of Israelis and killed +1200 of them. Palestinians and Hamas started the war and now we’ve let the people with the same intent and outlook into our country.

      • It’s not just down the Politicians, the RAF is basically in peacetime is a 9 to 5 (1pm on a Friday) very well funded flying club. And if you don’t believe me then go on a tracker and check. You very seldom see anything up at weekend, bank holidays unless it’s an air show, exercises or a long distance Transport.
        Yes there are some aircraft on QRA at Conningsby and Lossiemouth and probably a Tanker on Standby.
        But that’s about it, so if you think base security is a priority then think again. As far as I am aware the RAF Regiment was cut from 1800 to 1500 3 years ago and re tasked to CBRN duty’s.

  3. It is treason and should be prosecuted accordingly, but of course they won’t will they? We the taxpayer will end up funding their legal defence which will be just more anti-western propaganda theatre.

    Slap on the wrist for these idiots I’m sure, whereas what they deserve is a bullet. If security had been on the ball at Brize that is precisely what they may very well have gotten.

    • I’d have found the uproar from the usual suspects had they been slotted hilarious.
      Cross a fence into an active MoD site, you take your chances.

    • Agree- if they are British citizens it is treason or terrorism and should be treated as such. Any involved who are not British citizens and dont have the right to remain should be rounded up- loaded onto a military transport plane- flown to their country of origin and chucked out with a parachute from 10,000 feet. “Bye- dont come back- you are not welcome”- I cant see our forefathers being anything but very robust on such a bunch of enemies within. This is a very worrying development- especially with tens of thousands of fighting aged men arriving in the UK illegally every year and now seemingly free to commit terrorism acts, rape (recent Afghan case- who stated it was just a difference in social norms), knife crime (telling the government has refused to disclose home office statistics on how many illegal migrants are committing serious and violent crimes within the UK)

    • Actually we don’t fund their Defence costs as that isn’t part of the deal, these groups operate on a sort of pact arrangement. If they get caught then they get all their legal costs funded and it’s the best available, it’s not left to whichever local Solicitor gets landed with the job. It will be a top London Law firm complete with a KC.
      It literally is part of the membership package and it is so they get the lightest sentence possible or get off, but mainly because it’s also massive free publicity for their cause.
      Usual suspect to provide funding is an incredibly wealthy American who is a communist, Shia convert who lives in North Africa and covers the defence costs for numerous leftwing, anti this that and the other cause.

  4. The main inaccuracy in their statement was the suggestion that Israel was committing genocide but I see no chance of the racist loons who control the Labour party challenging that.

    • Might not be genocide, but there are still many innocent yet dead Gazans, Iranians, Lebanese, Syrians, just as there equally horrific amounts of innocent dead Israelis. The whole situation is a mess from all angles, and all parties are to blame to some degree.

      • Missing the point thogh aren’t you? Virtually none of those casualties would have occurred if these Herbert’s stop attacking Israel!
        Probably a bit contentious but it didn’t stop all those Gaza residents dancing on the graves of the innocent Israelis killed on 7 th October did it?

        • Excactly- HAMAS started the war by committing a fragrant act of war against Israel. The Palestinian peoples must have known thousands of HAMAS fighters were going to pour over the Israeli border and commits murderous acts against the Israeli state and yet not a single one of them reported this as a concern to the Israeli’s they were all supporting HAMAS and their whole malodorous set up in Gaza.

        • Your argument is flawed in that you can keep moving backwards and assigning blame essentially infinitely. I mean, by your logic (I don’t personally agree with this take), there’s a case to suggest that without British actions in the Middle East under imperial influence, these casualties would also not have occurred.

          There is a position between acknowledging the horror of what was committed by Hamas terrorists in Israel and deciding that therefore, the population of Gaza should be subjected to terrible conditions and wanton destruction. Both things can be bad at the same time.

        • It is not only known, Hamas leaders say it in Arabic. That own children, elderly and women must “spill blood” to stimulate the combatants.
          Of course censored by the BBC and others media agencies that have worldwide presence. So they cannot claim they do not know.

          Another important point is how current journalism gave birth to one of most babaric war tactics in history. That you wage a war by not only not caring for own population but by putting its in danger by design. This is without historical precedent.

          If Israel had same tactic it could have claimed 10000’s of deaths under the 60000 rockets of Hamas, Heezbolah, Houthis and Ayatollahs.

      • From most of Left i have been learning that UK and Allies commitd genocide against Germans in WW2. Much more percentage of German population died in WW2.

          • Lesson 2 don’t keep on adding to the list of enemies with Big Bombers when don’t have any 😞

        • I made it pretty clear that I am neither supporting nor attacking the statement that Israel is committing genocide. I’ll wait until the ICC makes a decision and then base my opinion on the evidence presented in that procedure.

    • I would say some in the Israeli government are actually not far off wanting that.. so I would not say Isreal is committing genocide, but some in its government would not be sad if that is happening. The issue with aid and food and the fact 50,000+ have died is a pretty brutal response to be honest as is the fact they are not stopping. The simple fact is they are not going to eradicate Hamas, but they have shattered it, now every civilian death and starving child is less and less justified. I supported Israelis right to exist and defence itself.. but my personal view is the extremist neo-Kahanist movement has used the actions of Hamas in attacking Israel to take control of the political agenda in Israel and the neo-Kahanists are very very ugly.

      • Hamas numbers, does it include the fake 500 deaths of the fake attack against the hospital?

        Nazis did not stopped existing either. That is not the point.

        • The point is at some point you stop, you have a goal, Israel has not taken control of Gaza and managed it so when does it stop ? the allies took Germany removed it’s government, controlled then rebuilt it..

          As for numbers.. I use a middle road estimate not one side or the others. Hamas claim 69,000+

    • Not sure that it’s inaccurate just that it’s debatable. Lawyers have argued that their actions meet the legal definition of genocide. The problem is the definition isn’t overly well defined.

  5. Words fail me. What are the Mod Plod and the RAF doing. Once the perpetrators have been caught. Throw the book at them. Plenty of Jail time then Deport them to Palestine!!!

    • Id just deport them to Gaza with a clear understanding you show yourself in the UK or are found in the UK you will be on a wanted terrorist list and shot on sight.

  6. When does ‘vandalism’ cross into sabotage? Can’t really be called terrorism I’d imagine, but anyone deliberately damaging or even defacing Military equipment should be treated as a saboteur and prosecuted as such, meaning a life sentence. Too much to hope for I’m sure..

  7. Appaulling set of events and heads are bound to roll as this incident has no excuses. The adage, ‘They only need one opportuntiy,’ springs to mind but one thing is clear, God help those poor souls enetering MOD sites from now on!

  8. Where does one start… So after the shenanigans at Brize Norton last night, I am assuming RAF bases have no security at all. At the very least, I would expect that the commanding officer of Brize Norton, be relieved of command.

    With regard to the individuals and their acts of sabotage of military assets, I believe the government have no choice, other that to classify this as an act of Treason.

    To do otherwise, would simply pave the way for other ‘extremist’s’ to commit similar acts, knowing they may at worst merely serve a few months in low category prison.

    To those who say it sounds harsh, I would say that a clear message needs to be sent to these kinds of individuals.

  9. I am wondering, could they be charged under anti terrorist laws. They’ve broken into an active military base and should be treated accordingly. A shame they didn’t chose an America base, I’m sure they’d of had a more Robust response, or even a long stay at Guantanamo. But it does reinforce the need to secure our bases, Peruns latest presentation covers it.

    • They will not attack US sites in Uk, firstly they way better guarded and secondly it would cause the US to go after the folks who are funding them. One of those is an American extremist, Shia, communist living in North Africa and comes from a very rich and prominent family. Guess what he spends his inheritance on ?

  10. Recommendation 27 in Strategic Defence Review. –
    “Much greater focus is needed on ensuring the UK’s critical national infrastructure
    (CNI) is protected from attack below and above the threshold of war. Defence
    should more actively support the Cabinet Office in its work to set and enforce
    robust standards of protection and resilience for infrastructure, defining and
    prioritising the CNI on which Defence and wider Government relies in the first
    instance. A more comprehensive approach should include:
    • Strengthening Government powers to protect CNI where necessary,
    completing the process of updating existing legislation or bringing forward
    new legislation by the end of this Parliament (2029).
    • Exploring options for a ‘new deal’ for the protection of CNI in partnership with
    private-sector and allied operators. As part of this, the MOD should develop
    options for the protection of CNI in the event of crisis or conflict, including
    a new Reserve Force, with plans presented to the Secretary of State by
    December 2026.”

      • Aren’t there Artillery Regiments without guns? What are they doing meantime?? I know it’s not ideal, but these are strategic assets and must be protected. I know it’s not ideal but how about deploying units that are without equipment to fulfil their role onto airport security. It’s not like they haven’t done it before as we (4 RA) deployed to Greenham Common for Christmas/New year period back in the early 80s. Just as a stop gap till HMG sort their shit out.

  11. The base commander needs a strong dressing down. Luckily these muppets were clueless anti war tools. One we’ll trained russian agent with a bag of C4 could cripple the RAF fleet of Voyagers, C17s and A400Ms.

    • Has ecos of Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s strategic bomber force in that something happened that was unthinkable and weve been caught with our pants down and made to look utterly foolish, unprepared and useless.
      The MOD need to get a grip and PDQ- concentric rings of defence, rolling patrols, stop and search, an armed 24/7 response force to repel and defeat any concerted attack- GBAD for all key military sites
      HAS and bunkering- dispersal for all aircraft too physically large to go into a HAS- with dispersal into reinforced revetments with multiple layered netting covering the aircraft to ensure drone protection- none of that is expensive and you could argue should already be in place.
      The matter is worsened by the fact that the perpetrators got into the base firstly without being detected or challenged, then drove around on e-bikes unchallenged, were able to approach aircraft and commit the terrorist act- unchallenged and seemingly escaped.

  12. RAF Ref were probably strutting their stuff down the NAAFI whilst MOD guard had their heads down.

    I can see Brize and other RAF bases getting major security updates in the short term. As for the morons that did this (Henrietta’s and Tarquin’s no doubt) they and their organisation should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

    SO nothing will happen

  13. I sent them a snotty email saying how rubbish they were as a pressure group.. I think it was a well balanced snotty email..( it’s to hot to garden and I had time on my hands)..

    Dear Palestineaction group

    I just wanted to feed back in regards to your press release around the air refuelling aircraft your group damaged yesterday. In your statement you stated these aircraft supported the refuelling of Israeli aircraft.

    I would just like to point out that it is physically impossible for these refuelling aircraft to refuel Israeli aircraft as they have completed incompatible refuelling equipment..infact if you tried to undertake the refuelling both aircraft would probably end up taking catastrophic damage.

    Therefore you have not only lied in your press release by stating something that is completely impossible, but you have damaged a rare strategic resource that our armed forces use on a regular basis to defence this nation against Russian air incursions.

    Infact your actions have actually provided evidence to both Russia and china that the UK is very open to political warfare attacks and made it just it little more likely that they will think they could win any conflict with the UK and wider west. As both of these nations are on a clear path to war with the west and are only deterred from doing so by risk of losing, your group has just moved the dial a little step closer to a global conflict/WW3.

    Well done !!!

    Maybe concentrate on the actual culprits of what is going on in the Middle East, the genocidal extremists of Hamas and extremist members of the Israeli government..because the UK government has zero influence over either group and your actions against it simply harm your own county and make Europe unsafer and less stable, without making any impact on the chance of peace for the people of Palestine. Which is what you need to do..

    The simple fact is the Israeli government and UK government have never got on ( both nations almost went to war once, look it up) and Israel will at best tell the UK to jog on and at worst purposefully do the opposite the UK government wants.

    Can I suggest actions that would matter

    1) peacefully protest outside the Israeli embassy ( they are doing it, it will not make them stop but it’s embarrassing ).
    2) peacefully protest outside the Egyptian embassy ( they could open their borders )
    3) peacefully protest outside the Jordanian embassy ( they could open their borders )
    4) peacefully protest outside the U.S. embassy ( this is the only nation in the world that has any influence on Israel)
    5) fly to Israel and peacefully protest there ( if you held to your beliefs you would)
    6) Call out Hamas for being the religious fascists and genocidal extremists they are (Fatah are a freedom movement..but Hamas butchered them in Gaza).

    As a supporter of a two state solution and peace in the Levant and European security I’m more than a bit disappointed by your poorly thought out actions and then factually incorrect and incompetence press statement

    • Thats too nice- hopefully some guys in blacked out combat armoured suits will be crashing through the groups doors any moment and rounding the whole stinking lot of them up.
      MI5 and MI6 need to pull their heads out their arses too as we seem to have a very large number of enemy within- allowed to enter the UK by successive governments- but net unfettered migration of +3 million people in the last 2 years of Tory rule is a disgrace.
      Gloves have to come off- there needs to be a massive push back and reaffirming of who is in charge and in control of this country- the British Government and the British people. Anyone who does like that can either go to jail for a very very long time or be deported via a parachute back to their country of origin.

      • You can be nice in your approach. Personally I think the perpetrators and organisers committed treason and require prison sentences, but that’s for the the state to decide not me.. I will politely explain why I think they were wrong.

  14. Palestine Action needs to be proscribed as a domestic terrorist group.

    They should be investigated, arrested and shut down.

    Their past acts of vandalism have led to arrests, but mostly the culprits have got off lightly with suspended sentences and fines.

    I’m going to be harsh, but I think if any member of this group caught doing damage and is of foreign birth,
    then the punishment should be revocation of Citizenship/Visa (if applicable) followed by deportation and a ban from re-entry.

    Anyone of UK birth should face a charge of treason.

    • Agree- just said the same- there needs to be a very clear robust push back, they need to be shut down, all their members arrested, hauled in and investigated under anti terrorism charges and any that are not full British nationals should have their right to remain rescinded and then they should be deported immediately- with a clear message they are not welcome back, if found attempting to enter or having entered the UK you will be shot dead as a terrorist.

  16. Just another sign that we have hit rock bottom. David Frost in the DT writes that the Great Britain I love is dying. I’m no fan of the DT but I’m beginning to think he is right. Chagos, Spanish immigration procedures in Gib, and in the latest parliamentary pantomimes abortion for any reason up to birth and assisted suicide; the latter a bill tabled I have no doubt by loser Starmer’s stooge. This last measure would split the country down the middle and make Brexit look like a unifying force. A house divided against itself cannot stand. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a major constitutional earthquake in the near future.

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