The Ghostrider carries cannon, bombs and missiles.At least five MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and one MH-47G Chinook, thought to have been carried on the Globemaster, have been spotted in British hangars. The US is the UK’s principal defence and security partner. The depth of our defence relationship with the US remains an essential part of our security.”A spokesman for the UK PM said: “I’m not going to comment on speculation around operational activity, especially regarding other nations. The US is the UK’s most important defence and security partner.”It is possible the military build-up was in order to seize the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera, until recently known as the Bella-1, in the North Atlantic on Wednesday after it slipped through a US naval blockade of Venezuela. Any US operation from a base in the UK is considered on a case-by-case basis.

Source: The Times January 07, 2026 19:22 UTC