Two Latvian men were arrested early on October 8 inside RAF Molesworth, a key military base in Cambridgeshire that serves as a major intelligence hub for NATO and the United States. The arrests came after security personnel discovered an abandoned vehicle near the base perimeter and identified a small breach in the fence.
The men, aged 32 and 36 and residents in the UK, were initially detained on suspicion of trespassing on a prohibited site and causing criminal damage. They were subsequently arrested on suspicion of offences under the National Security Act 2023 related to entering a prohibited place for purposes deemed prejudicial to the United Kingdom. Both remain in police custody as investigations continue.
RAF Molesworth hosts several critical US military and NATO intelligence operations, including the United States European Command, the Joint Intelligence Operations Centre Europe Analytic Centre, the United States Africa Command, and NATO’s Intelligence Fusion Centre. The facility supports intelligence gathering and crisis management across Europe and Africa, playing a vital role in transatlantic military cooperation. Recently, the base held a conference on Russian hybrid warfare, which brought together NATO intelligence experts and highlighted heightened security measures.
The discovery at RAF Molesworth follows a separate security incident less than two weeks earlier at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. On September 27, police arrested seven men on suspicion of plotting a terror attack near that base, which also hosts US Air Force operations. Authorities have not established any direct connection between the two incidents, though counter-terrorism officials are keeping an open mind while probing the motivations behind the Molesworth breach.
Counter Terrorism Policing London (CTPL), which is leading the investigation into the Molesworth incident, said security patrols identified the abandoned vehicle around 10 p.m. on October 7. The arrests inside the base took place approximately four hours later. Searches were conducted at two addresses in the Peterborough area in connection with the case, and bomb disposal teams examined the vehicle to rule out any threats.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTPL, acknowledged public concern following the recent military site incidents but emphasized that the investigation into the latest event is at an early stage. She stressed that the police are examining all possible motives and maintaining an open mind. Meanwhile, senior officials, including Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton and former NATO military committee chairman Sir Stuart Peach, reiterated that UK military bases remain secure and that threat assessments are continuously updated to protect personnel and infrastructure.
The US Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing, which coordinates US activities at RAF Molesworth and RAF Fairford, expressed appreciation for the swift response and support from local law enforcement agencies. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley highlighted progress in the RAF Fairford investigation and called for public trust in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
At this stage, no further details about the suspects’ motives or potential links to foreign actors have been disclosed. Authorities continue to examine all evidence as they work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the security breach at one of NATO’s most sensitive intelligence facilities.