Aeroplanes once capable of carrying NUCLEAR BOMBS believed to have flown low over villages near Northampton this morning

Hundreds of residents in villages near Northampton say they were woken by a ‘loud roar’ in the early hours of this morning – here’s what we know so far.

Residents from Thrapston to Weedon took to social media this morning (Tuesday, October 31) claiming to have been woken up by extremely loud and low flying aeroplanes.

One resident said: “Very loud over Daventry. Felt like it was 10 metres above the house!” Another said: “Was quite a roar over Daventry.”

It is believed two United States Air Force B1 Lancer planes out of RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire, were heading east through the Daventry Radar Corridor at around 4.20am, according to plane enthusiasts at Daventry Radar Corridor & UK Spotters.

It was reported by Daventry Radar Corridor & UK Spotters earlier this month (October) that there is an ‘upcoming deployment of USAF B1-B Lancer aircraft to RAF Fairford, which will hopefully fly through the Daventry Corridor quite regularly over the coming weeks’.

A Daventry Radar Corridor & UK Spotters spokesman said: “They are extremely impressive aircraft and will be very visible in the skies, with their unique shape.

"This is a planned deployment and nothing to do with ongoing events in the world. If you are interested, follow us at Daventry Radar Corridor & UK Spotters **OFFICIAL**. We will be following/tracking the movement whilst they are here and there are sure to be some amazing photos/videos posted.”

An RAF spokesman said it does not offer comment on foreign national aircraft movements and directed this newspaper to the US Air Force Public Affairs department.

The RAF spokesman said: ”Fairford is a RAF base in name only due to historic links, it is not an RAF main operating base and the RAF do not operate from there.

“With UK Government permission, the United States use Fairford as a forward operating base for their assets.”

The US Air Force has been contacted for comment.

According to a US Air Force press release on October 12, over 100 Airmen and B-1B Lancer aircraft from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, have deployed to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom for Bomber Task Force-Europe 24-1. This deployment, part of a planned effort, offers strategic options to U.S. and NATO leaders for assuring Allies and partners and deterring potential adversary aggression in Europe and globally.

What is the B1-Lancer?

The B-1 Lancer is a supersonic strategic bomber aircraft that is part of the United States Air Force's bomber fleet. It is officially known as the Rockwell B-1 Lancer, named after the American aviation pioneer, Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. The B-1 Lancer is designed for long-range, high-speed, and low-level penetration missions and is capable of carrying various types of munitions, according to experts.

The B-1B variant of the Lancer is capable of flying at speeds of up to Mach 1.25 (approximately 950 miles per hour) at high altitudes and can cover long distances without the need for aerial refuelling. It has a substantial operational range, which allows it to reach distant targets.

The video attached to this news story of a B1 leaving RAF Fairford earlier this month was taken by Thomas Alexander and uploaded to his YouTube channel called ‘Aviation in 4k’.