Lights, camera, action: RAF Mildenhall reveals involvement with new Jack Ryan film

Airmen from US Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in West Suffolk joined forces with Hollywood last year and on 20 May, we'll all be able to see the fruits of their labour in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War.

Starring John Krasinski as Jack Ryan, a US Marine veteran turned CIA analyst, and Wendell Pierce as tough-minded CIA officer James Greer, the series is making the jump from TV to become the sixth film in the franchise since 1990 and The Hunt For Red October starring Sean Connery.

And this time, the Tom Clancy franchise is returning to the UK (just like in Harrison Ford's Patriot Games) and will feature airmen based at RAF Mildenhall who, in April 2025, were used as military advisors and extras.

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In a statement announcing RAF Mildenhall's involvement with the film, USAF said: "[The airmen's] expertise was crucial in ensuring an accurate and respectful portrayal of military life.

"We can't wait for you to see their amazing work on the big screen!"

While RAF Mildenhall has been the location of films dating back to the Second World War with propaganda films such as The Lion Has Wings and Target For Tonight, there are no reports that the base itself was used as a location in Ghost War.

The USAF base has units from four different major commands – Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, US Air Forces in Europe and Air Force Special Operations Command.

Ghost War sees Jack Ryan pulled back into the world of espionage for his most personal and dangerous mission yet when an international covert mission unravels a deadly conspiracy, forcing him to confront a rogue black-ops unit.

This time, the team works with MI6 officer Emma Marlowe, played by British actor Sienna Miller, against what the trailer suggests is the leader of rogue black-ops unit known as Starling, played by fellow Brit Max Beesley. 

In 2019, actors John Krasinski and Michael Kelly, who portrays Mike November in the series, visited RAF Alconbury as part of a USO tour to promote the television series.

Jack Ryan: Ghost War premieres globally on Prime Video on 20 May 2026.