Recent U.S. military air movements into the United Kingdom indicate a redeployment of American special forces into Europe, following a period of heightened operational activity linked to events in Venezuela, UK Defence Journal understands.
Flight tracking data shows an increase in U.S. Air Force strategic airlift activity, including multiple C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft arriving at RAF Fairford, alongside the arrival of two AC-130 gunships at RAF Mildenhall. Approximately ten C-17 movements have been observed over a short period, with most flights originating from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
While MH-47 Chinook helicopters have not been directly observed at RAF Fairford, several of the C-17 movements are assessed to have transported U.S. Army rotary-wing assets. The aircraft types involved, combined with departure locations and routing patterns, are consistent with the movement of special operations aviation units. Open-source imagery and flight data suggest likely involvement of assets associated with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
The formations typically linked to these bases include units routinely tasked with rapid-response and high-risk missions, such as elements of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 101st Airborne Division, and 160th SOAR. These forces are commonly employed for short-notice contingency operations, including the capture or extraction of high-value individuals, supported by strategic airlift and specialised aviation platforms.
RAF Fairford has drawn particular attention due to its established role as a key U.S. strategic air bridge into Europe. Similar increases in C-17 activity at the base were observed ahead of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.
The overnight US air movements to the UK which have caused some interest *might* be preparation to seize the runaway tanker BELLA 1 / MARINERA.
USN P-8s seem to be keeping eyes on the ship while 160th SOAR kit arrives
Data courtesy of @ArmchairAdml @MATA_osint @EISNspotter pic.twitter.com/p2WdaYhwpn
— DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 (@DefenceGeek) January 4, 2026
The movements follow President Donald Trump’s confirmation that Nicolás Maduro was captured during a U.S. operation in Venezuela and removed from the country. Washington has not disclosed which units were involved in that operation, and it remains unclear whether the forces now transiting through the UK are directly linked or are part of a broader post-operation repositioning. At the time of writing, neither U.S. nor UK authorities have commented publicly on the intent or duration of the deployments.
Flexing muscles, that is what we are witnessing here, and it’s going to get bigger. May be it’s part of a proceedure that any country, which fails to comply with the American point of view, can expect a number of actions from increased tariffs to military action. In truth, the rest of the World can complain but will do little to counter this policy.
In other words, empire building.
Earth to Maurice. The Empire has already been built. Too bad the UK and France have lost theirs.
I think that comment proves you’re a Russian or Chinese troll. Because I’ve never had a conversation with an American Neo fascist, republican or democrat who would ever use the world “Empire” in any discussion about the US, it’s the antipathy of US self identity.
Call a spade a spade. Venezuela, Iraq, etc etc were empire building. They might not like the term but doesn’t change what it is. An empire is control over foreign countries.
Steve PK claims to be American..an that is not a term they use, the most devout follower of the far right and MAGA would never ever use such a term.. it shows that although PK throws shade on this site as a far right MAGA believer he is not .. probably a political warfare officer.
PKCasimir, how did you know I was in orbit?
What are you wittering on about. We are barely on the first page of this distracting song sheet where the numerous redactions merely disguise a failing Empire busily lashing out on convenient minnows to make it look big and powerful to cover up the decaying internal ructions, discontent and dodgy dealings and associations of the ‘Great Leader’ as his mental and physical decline becomes obvious to even his closest ass licking associates. Can’t beat distraction to fool the masses, every tyrant employs it when things get desperate and as we see it works on some of the easily led.
Who forced the demise of the British empire?
The Americans.
A combination of circumstances, not just American influences and intentions. At the end of the day Britain was broke, it had little power or resources left to do anything, even if it wanted too.
The US who were predominantly anti British made sure we paid through the nose, remember the Marshall plan? Only 2 countries had to pay the US back and that was the UK and France the rest of Europe mainly Germany were given grants.
You could say this Country is still paying the price for victory through managed decline by successive governments.
Our security is dependent on the US and that has satisfied successive US administrations since 1945.
The only time the UK gave the US the 2 fingers salute was over Vietnam. The then PM Harold Wilson had to go to the US and beg for a bailout when the country went bankrupt, we are still paying that loan back.
Looks like Scotland Is the next Target 😉
Whiskey Is 2nd on Trumps list of addictions Inflicting deaths on his Country.
It’s only a guess though, might actually be Russia or Ukraine or Denmark, Who fecking well knows with this bloke🤔🫡👀
Trump already owns half of Scotland. And he’s a teetotaler.
Anders Holch Povlsen is the biggest land owner in Scotland at 220,000 acres of land… Scotland has a total of 19 million acres of land.. so this Danish guy owns about 1% of Scotland and he is by far the largest land owner. Trump owns a couple of golf courses at about 2200 acres ( or the size of a reasonable sized farm)….
You don’t expect his ass lickers to be interested in facts do you Jonathon. Probably means his SS henchmen are after Denmark then.
I do hope MI5 are keeping an eye on the Republicans Abroad infiltrators they are working hard trying to soften up and manipulate opinion and sow useful relationships and gaining intelligence in UK and Europe for potential future operations not unlike Russia and China but sadly we allow more freedom to do so. Clearly those around Maduro were contacted and paid off or did his numerous military just evaporate from around him before he had time to even exit his bed? Hardly likely one would have thought considering he knew the impending danger. Those around him clearly did a deal to stay in power with the backing of the US. This is as good as proved ny Trump claiming the US will run the Country (how otherwise without boots on the ground) and his dismissing of the democratic opposition who actually won the last election. So let’s get real this has nothing to do with democracy or drugs it’s about replacing one dictator with another just to the economic and political benefit of the US and get that oil pumping for America again. A warning to the rest of us with US agents as I say roaming openly around us. Hope Starmer’s protection is less buyable than Maduros.
🤦♂️
He’s thinking of the profit laddie, or have you not noticed his modus operandi from your WW3 bunker.
A step closer to Iran.
They never learn.
As Trump has warmed Iran it will intervene if it subjugates the protests it could be related to that..
Let’s hope he does not directly interfere but instead uses subversion..as the best way to prop up that evil is to show that the US will invade.. far better to subvert and send the opposition resources.. money, communication gear, expertise in subversion and guns.. if the right buttons are pulled that evil could easily fall naturally.. if the wrong buttons are pushed it could have its grip supported.
This is the thing I don’t have a moral issue with the US subverting evil bastards in random countries and supported oppositions. It’s the whole invasion and using brut force because it’s F?xking stupid and very rarely works unless you can take and hold the entire country with vast numbers of boots on the ground and are willing to take a couple of generations..
The English Chanel hasn’t any spare capacity for another Conflict, neither are there any Hotel Vacancies !
🚤⛔🚷
There is always another hotel ready to make a quick easy buck.
UK isn’t the obvious launch point for a special forces operation again Iran. The US has sizeable bases far closer they could use.
Likely just a military exercise. Hopefully.
I think they are transiting.. the UK is a key transit point.
Fair point. Let’s hope they arent planning to do the same thing in Iran as they did in Venezuela. That would result in mass terror attacks across europe and no doubt huge mess across the region as risk of civil war and/or a refuge crisis.
Exactly and he just can’t keep his gob shut can he so little to hide his true motives. As I say elsewhere he is writing off the democratic forces in Venezuela which shows he’s doing a deal with the hard men and women, he doesn’t want democracy he wants the profits. Oh and of course the democrat got a Nobel Peace Prize instead of him so there’s that to get revenge for.
Didn’t the Americans (CIA) and British (MI-6?) cooperate on a joint venture to depose a previous Iranian government during the 1950s? Everyone enjoys critiquing US foreign policy, but all European colonial powers have long, storied histories of questionable foreign policy machinations. The UK had an Empire w/in living memory to protect. Sorry, the holier-than-thou speeches have more than a wisp of hypocrisy.
And it was stupid then as well, we all know how Iran ended… it’s not a moral issue at all, I have zero problem with the US undermining a pretty nasty government until it naturally falls, but I have a big problem with random regime change through state violence breaching another nation’s sovereignty ( war). Not for morality but because I think it’s geographically fucking stupid beyond belief.
The western nations are being weakened by 2 forces.
1) internal legitimacy ( in which the population see their government as legitimate in following the needs of the population and not external goals which the population did not vote for).
2) the externalisation of insurgency through global networks and loss of international legitimacy of the west to oversee the international order.
In understanding the rise of these to forces and how they are almost at a point they could spiral western nations into disintegration the distinction between contingent and organic wars is crucial. Contingent wars arise from choices: miscalculations, misjudgements, or diplomatic failures that might have been avoided. The Gulf War of 1990–91, for instance, might not have occurred had Saddam Hussein been persuaded that annexing Kuwait would trigger overwhelming retaliation.. in part this then lead to the following contingent wars of gulf war 2, Afghanistan and the wider war on terror. From these we have had the rise of global external insurgency agains western nations as well as the conditions that have supported delegitimisation of our governments.. ( a majority in the UK essentially has disliked it’s governments and every party since Blair).
Every regime change and contingent war western nations now undertake the fastest this process towards the fall moves forward.
Which takes us to the second type of war we should profoundly fear….
Organic wars, occur because structural instability makes conflict inevitable. Europe on the eve of 1914 is the archetype: a powder keg of alliances, mobilisations and demographic pressures waiting only for a spark.The Western nations increasingly resembles the latter: an ‘organic’ crisis of legitimacy, identity and political authority in which violence is not so much a possibility as a foreordained outcome due to a loss of legitimacy in its populations and external insurgency..
So no it’s not holier than thee ( as I believe all nation states are essentially amoral actors and at best can work together as part of enlightened self interest) it’s the fact I think it’s an insane action from a government trying to use contingent war to prop up its internal legitimacy and history teaches us that always fails catastrophically in the end…
Why wouldn’t the Yanks ask us to use our P-8s to observe the tanker? Can only assume we’ve said ‘no’ or they don’t trust us.
What tanker Paul ?
Hi. Is BELLA 1 / MARINERA.
The amazing suddenly Russian tanker that the US has been chasing all over the Atlantic.. it’s a bit comical that one but shows how China, Russia and Iran are essentially completely in each others pockets and playing the west for fools.
Yes.. also ours are busy, theirs might need the practice.
Positioning for next bit of international law-breaking…
my bet is on Trump going after either Macron or Frederik X, King of Denmark next. Probably the latter, as like all bullies, Trump prefers weak opponents to strong ones.
Wonder if any in the US Forces disobeyed their illegal orders for Venezuela or the defence that failed in Nuremberg might now work.
“or relying on the defence”
2025 and still not edit functionality 😂
It’s actually 2026 🤦♂️
I’m now officially refusing to age anymore… so it’s still 2025…la la la la…
This just reminded me a really depressing paper i read, written by a couple of professors of war studies.. basically saying the west was heading down the toilet of civil war..
“Western societies are not experiencing passing turbulence but entering the long twilight of civil war.”
Apparently western nations populations are splitting into three factions. City, rural and a more and more divorced from the population’s government factions and its seeming that western nations are splitting in that three way divide.
This has been warned about for years, sadly nobody was listening or we’re all “closet loons” as David Cameron said.
City. Populated by Migrants, who all move together and form communities within communities, and many of whom never integrated.
Rural. The original population not affected by mass migration, or those including whom moved out of the cities as they were either sick and tired of it, or could no longer afford it. Example, Greenford. My wife grew up there and it might as well now be somewhere in the Middle East when we return. The original.population have either died with age or moved away. My wife does not want to live in the Middle East, she wants to live in the British culture we grew up in.
Divorced. The even more pissed off part of category 2 above and alienated by successive governments who let it all happen since the 1980s.
Result. The establishment parties have lost much of the population, see every poll for the lsst few years.
I fall in between categories 2 and 3.
Oh yes, I can quite believe it. Courtesy of HMG.
Eyes on Iran. It’s about to pop.
One day soon Musk will tell Emperor Trump that there are bitcoin mines on Mars and then he will be off with his shovel. Seriously though it is interesting how everyone except Starmer and his dim bulbs are realising that the Yanks are rapidly becoming the new enemy.
Starrmer is aware, but his also not stupid. We don’t have the economic power of the EU to stand up to US tarrifs etc and so we have to play a careful game to not destroy our own economy. Trump lashes out against people he sees as his enemies and our economy can’t take trump deciding to lash out against the UK.