Ghostriders arrive in UK – and online chatter suggests something big is going down
A number of large US military aircraft have suddenly begun arriving in the UK – with much speculation about their role.
According to flight tracking data and sightings by plane spotters, as many as 10 C-17 Globemasters have landed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
Even more interesting were sightings of two AC-130J Ghostrider gunships touching down at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.
A devastating weight of fire
Ghostriders are fitted with a 30mm Bushmaster cannon, a 105mm howitzer and Hellfire missiles, and can lay down a devastating weight of fire.
What piqued so much interest in these flights was flight data showing that at least some of these aircraft took off from US bases like Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
This is home to – among other units – the US Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, better known as the Night Stalkers.
The 160th operates a range of special forces helicopters and specialises – as the name suggests – in flying units like Delta Force into battle at night.
The unit was made famous by the film Black Hawk Down, and it also took part in the mission to capture Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
And just this weekend, it played a pivotal role in the American operation in Venezuela, flying in US special forces operatives to apprehend President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
Night Stalkers helis said to be in UK
It's not been officially confirmed, but reports online say the C-17s that landed at Fairford brought in at least five MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and one MH-47G Chinook - both of which the 160th operates.
And reports say these have been spotted in hangars alongside several CV-22B tilt-rotor Ospreys.
So the question is what’s all this kit doing here?
Is this just a strategic relocation of resources, an exercise or a sign the US is preparing for another operation elsewhere?
The US Air Force and the UK Ministry of Defence have both played it down.
RAF Mildenhall already has a Special Operations Wing, and the Night Stalkers have deployed to the UK on exercise in the past.
Is trouble (for someone) brewing?
Fairford has also played a part in operations elsewhere and is the main air bridge from the US into Europe – and, in fact, flight data is said to show the C-17s leaving Fairford and then flying on to Ramstein in Germany.
But online, people are asking if the arrival of all these Special Operations assets is a sign of something brewing.
Does it have anything to do with Iran? Is this some sort of signal to Moscow?
For now, it's all speculation with no confirmation.
But the point many are making is that this doesn't look like a training exercise – and these aircraft will be used somehow, somewhere.
Join Our Newsletter
