A man has appeared at the Old Bailey for allegedly taking part in a “sophisticated” Palestine Action attack on two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton.
Two Voyager planes sustained £7 million worth of damage during the incident at the RAF base in Oxfordshire on June 20.
In an early morning raid, protesters on two e-scooters broke into the military base and used fire extinguishers to spray the aircraft with red paint and also threw crowbars into the engine rotors, it is alleged.
As a result, the planes were taken out of action and the turbines needed to be replaced at a cost of £2 million each, the court was told.
Fire extinguishers marked with the words Palestine Action and Palestinian flags were recovered at the scene.
Palestine Action went on to claim responsibility for the attack in a YouTube video which included footage of the incident.
The Government subsequently moved to proscribe the group under anti-terror laws on July 5.
Alleged group member Muhammad Umer Khalid, 22, was arrested on August 1 at an address in Bedford.
On Friday, he appeared at the Old Bailey charged with two offences relating to the RAF Brize Norton incident.
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC told the court it was a “sophisticated and carefully planned attack” with a “terrorist connection”.
Khalid is charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for purposes prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.
The defendant appeared by video-link from Wormwood Scrubs as Mr Polnay set out a proposed timetable for the case.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded Khalid into custody ahead of a plea hearing on January 16, 2026.
A provisional trial date at the Old Bailey was set for six to eight weeks from January 18, 2027.
Khalid, of Stockport, Greater Manchester, is the fifth person to be charged in connection with the incident.
Co-accused Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22, who are all in custody, will appear on the same dates.
