Questions for the RAF after activists breach security at Brize Norton and damage two aircraft
The Ministry of Defence is investigating after a group supporting Palestine broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged two military aircraft.
A video posted on social media by Palestine Action appears to show a person on a scooter approaching a Voyager plane, which is parked up on the airfield.
The video was taken at night and what appears to be red paint can be seen on the ground.
The group says they used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft and caused further damage using crowbars.
Red paint was also sprayed across the runway and a Palestine flag was left on the scene.
This will be an embarrassing incident for the RAF.
One of the questions people will be asking is how the activists were able to get in and out of the UK's largest Royal Air Force station undetected.
Once they were in, how were they able to approach the aircraft without anyone noticing?
Around 5,800 service personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors work at the RAF Station in Oxfordshire.
At a time of global political tension, there will also be questions raised around the level of security at military bases, especially those which house valuable assets.
Is this incident enough to heighten the state of alert?
In terms of the two aircraft, there will also be inquiries into how much damage has been done and how long the Voyagers will be grounded for.
Voyager aircraft have many roles, including transport and air-to-air refuelling.
This could mean considerable knock-on effects with personnel and equipment movement as well ongoing operations – such as Op Shader, the RAF's ongoing commitment to combating Daesh in Iraq and Eastern Syria.
They are also used in non-combatant evacuation missions, such as Operation Polar Bear, the UK-led evacuation effort from Sudan in May 2023, when people were transported from Sudan to Cyprus before travelling back to the UK.
The Ministry of Defence has condemned the "vandalism" of the Royal Air Force assets and is "working closely with the police, who are investigating".
They added: "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.
Thames Valley Police has confirmed the report of criminal damage and has said that "inquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible".
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