The RAF Fairford episode is a direct result of an ongoing debate about Britain's alleged sovereign control over its military operations and how much Britain is willing to sacrifice its military independence for the perceived geostrategic and diplomatic benefits of being an unwavering ally of the United States and Israel. The Fairford affair is thus just one symptom of a much broader strategic and political challenge to Britain's military sovereignty as a nation.
The Fairford Moment
The Royal Air Force Fairford, a British establishment, has served as a forward American air base for the duration of the US military presence there. In other words, whenever American aircraft have been deployed from RAF Fairford, they have been operating under US command, direction, and control, not Britain's. The Fairford affair is yet another reminder that Britain is at best a subcontractor for the United States and Israel in military matters.
A Larger Pattern
Britain's intelligence, nuclear deterrent, and global military operations are all subject to the whims of the United States and Israel.
Israel's strategic primacy over Britain is primarily political, not military, but that does not make it any less dangerous to Britain's foreign policy and military decision-making independence. The US and Israeli governments have considerable leverage over their British counterparts, and both have used it to advance their strategic interests.
The Israeli Factor
Britain's foreign policy and military posture are substantially influenced by Washington's preferences, which are in turn substantially shaped by official Israeli diplomatic and intelligence positions.
So, whenever official Washington takes action or responds to a crisis in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world, it tends to do so in concert with Israel. And when it acts in concert with Israel, it tends to act against the interests of Britain as a sovereign state. This was dramatically highlighted by the Fairford affair, in which sensitive military decisions were made on American soil by American officials with little or no regard for Britain's military and strategic interests.
Britain's Sovereignty Revisited
It is a matter of public record that when it comes to military matters, Britain is at best a subcontractor for the United States and Israel.
The real lesson of the Fairford affair is that Britain is unable to undertake truly independent military actions, not least when it comes to protecting its military installations. Whenever US or Israeli strategic interests are at stake, Washington and Tel Aviv will act unilaterally, with little or no regard for Britain's military and strategic interests.
Military sovereignty is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of control. Britain may have had a sovereign choice to allow US and Israeli aircraft to operate from its military base at Fairford, but Britain did not have an entirely sovereign choice to accept the risks to its own military assets and personnel in the service of Washington's and Tel Aviv's foreign policy and military objectives. The Fairford affair is not an exception; it is the rule. But the exception always comes first.
