The arrests

Counter-terror police said two Latvian men, aged 32 and 36 and living in the United Kingdom, were found inside the perimeter of RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire in the early hours of Thursday 8 October. Ministry of Defence Police patrols reported an abandoned vehicle near the base at around 22:00 on Wednesday. A search of the area then found a small hole in the perimeter fence, and officers found and arrested the two men inside the fence at about 02:00 on Thursday. The men were first arrested on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and criminal damage, then re-arrested under the National Security Act 2023 on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. Bomb disposal officers examined the abandoned vehicle and found nothing of concern. Police are also carrying out two searches at addresses in the Peterborough area.

What the base does

RAF Molesworth is used by US military personnel for intelligence analysis and command activities, and it hosts a NATO intelligence centre. Aircraft no longer operate from the base. According to NATO, a conference on Russia was held there on Tuesday and Wednesday, and official figures put the number of people working at the NATO intelligence centre at about 200. The CIA says in its own statements that it directs activities on Africa and Europe from the site. The base is also used by US military intelligence units.

Link to Fairford

Police say there is currently no information linking the Molesworth arrests to the incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Three suspicious vans were found near Fairford in late September, and the investigation there has so far led to seven arrests. Several men were also arrested last month over a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, which had been used by US bombers to strike Iran. The British government has linked that plot to Iran, and Iran denies involvement. Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said:

We're very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest this incident is connected to the events at RAF Fairford last week.

Officials respond

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting wrote on X that the government is watching for threats to military sites.

We remain extremely vigilant about potential threats to our military sites.

Streeting added that base protection relies on a multilayered approach of physical barriers, patrols, surveillance, monitoring and counter-drone capabilities. A US Air Force spokesperson thanked local law enforcement for its rapid response and said the service works closely with UK authorities to keep military personnel and the local community safe. US European Command said American forces remain at the highest level of readiness.

Open questions

The motive remains unclear. Investigators have not yet established why the two men were inside the base, and they are considering whether a hostile state is involved, whether the men acted for criminal reasons, or whether they acted without grasping the consequences. Flanagan said the investigation is at a very early stage and that police are keeping an open mind. The counter-terror charge does not mean the suspects planned anything of the kind. Police are searching two addresses near Peterborough as part of the inquiry.