An aircraft carrying US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth back to the US from Nato talks in Brussels had to make an “unscheduled landing” in the UK after suffering a cracked windshield.
Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, confirmed the plane landed without issue and the crew and passengers, including Mr Hegseth, were safe onboard.
He posted on X: “On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield.
“The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe.”
On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) October 15, 2025
All good. Thank God. Continue mission! https://t.co/kCMmfOvHLX
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) October 15, 2025
Mr Hegseth also posted: “All good. Thank God. Continue mission!”
The aviation news website Airlive reported that the Boeing C-32A – a military version of the Boeing 757 – was about 30 minutes into the flight when it suffered a “depressurisation issue”.
It went on to land at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk at about 7.10pm.
Mr Hegseth had been attending a meeting of Nato defence ministers which was also attended by UK Defence Secretary John Healey.
