The air war over Kosovo and Serbia has forced the US Air Force and the Royal Air Force to cancel air shows later this year at RAF Mildenhall and RAF St Mawgan, in the UK.
Billed as the largest military-organised air show in the world, Mildenhall's Air Fete - an annual event at the Suffolk USAF base since 1976 - was scheduled for 29-30 May. The decision to call off the show capped over eight months of speculation that world events - including the bombings in August last year of US embassies in Africa - would force its cancellation.
Operations in connection with the Balkan conflict have caused many of Mildenhall's aircrews to deploy to forward locations, and have put personnel left at the base on 12h shifts.
The base is home to RC-135 Rivet Joint special operations and tanker aircraft. The St Mawgan air show, planned for 11 August, is also cancelled because of RAF commitments in the Balkans.
Source: Flight International