RNAS Yeovilton

[Bismark]

Some good news here - Yeovilton is set for major expansion.



Construction work with a value of up to £100m has been put out to tender by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) for estate development at Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset.

RNAS Yeovilton is home to more than 100 aircraft, including all Fleet Air Arm Lynx helicopters and the Commando Helicopter Force.

Some 4,300 personnel work on the 1400-acre site, which is also home to the Fighter Controller School, the School of Aircraft Control, and the Helicopter Underwater Escape Trainer.

DIO has published contract notices for three projects at the base. The largest is a £50m-£60m contract to design and build new living quarters, with accommodation for 442 officers and senior rates in three new buildings. Work also includes a sports pavilion, alterations to the existing medical centre and construction of a new dental centre.

A separate contract, estimated at £18m-25m, covers demolition, construction and modification of military buildings, including offices and hangars.

Both of these contracts are scheduled to take 26 months to complete.

A third contract, with an estimated value of £10m-15m, is for the new build of quartermaster and military transport facilities for the Army Air Corps plus rationalisation of the existing Little Yeovilton site.

[Sandy Parts]

Good to hear - loved my trips to the airshow as a static - hope they keep as good a welcome in town as they did then? :) I take it this is MFTS related? Will be like a 'Donny-with-Cider'!

[navstar1]

Really excellent news for the local economy:ok:

[KPax]

Might tie in nicely with the end of the contract at Shawbury, ATC school combines with ABM school at Boulmer, Storage Flight not required and DHFS move to Yeovilton, 'this is a rumour site'.

[Wrathmonk]

Isn't such expansion a precursor to station closure or it being handed over to another service?

RAF Yeovilton? Or Dannatt Barracks perhaps?

:E:E:E

[Bismark]

I take it this is MFTS related?

SP,

No it is all to do with the Army Air Corps co-locating their Wildcats with the RN and sharing training facilities.

I presume there will be a separate contract for the move of the Merlins when they transfer from the RAF to the RN.

All in all good news for Yeovilton and the Somerset economy. A quick fag packet calculation puts the future aircraft numbers up at around 110+

64 Wildcat
28 Merlin
5 Grob
6 Hawk
2 Swordfish
2 Sea Fury
1 Seahawk
1 Chipmunk
1 Piston Provost

And that doesn't include very healthy flying and gliding clubs and the Hunters

[Party Animal]

Could be a nice place to park our future MPA in 2020 under jointly manned crews! ;)

[Bismark]

No, they will go to Culdrose and co-locate with the Merlin to form an ASW centre of excellence.

[teeteringhead]

Or Dannatt Barracks perhaps?

Ward Barracks surely, with a (larger than) life-size statue of His Sharkeyness glowering over the Main Gates.

I think "Chopper Pukes" (IIRC the term used) were not high on his Christmas Card list either, so I'm sure he wouldn't entirely approve.......

[Party Animal]

No, they will go to Culdrose and co-locate with the Merlin to form an ASW centre of excellence.


Bismark,

Would need to stretch the runway by at least 50% for that one.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Interesting, so soon after BBC Democracy Live - Royal Navy 'insufficient' ship numbers, says peer (http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house-of-lords-22943665) ; 17 June 2013

Former first sea lord and Labour peer Lord West of Spithead criticised the current number of ships in the Royal Navy, deeming the figure "insufficient".


As he was one of the most recent of 1SLs to believe the jam-tomorrow promises, he will be pleased to know that we are investing in the future.

[Bismark]

Would need to stretch the runway by at least 50% for that one.

That all depends what the solution to the requirement is surely? You appear to be assuming a very large heavy jet that needs a 6000ft + runway.

[Not_a_boffin]

ISK seemed to manage with 7500...

[BEagle]

The last real expansion of Yeovilton was at the end of the 1950s when the runway was lengthened for the Sea Vixen. The Sea Venoms and Seahawks moved to Merryfield, which was a short walk up the hill from where I lived - so there were lots of real FAA aircraft at which to goof!

[Rosevidney1]

Unfortunately the term 'major expansion' has often proved to presage closure very soon thereafter. :sad:

[Seaking93]

28 Merlin?
27 at most as 1 example is stored at Sultan following its accident, also your Piston Provost is a private aircraft as is the Jet Provost currently based

[Party Animal]

That all depends what the solution to the requirement is surely? You appear
to be assuming a very large heavy jet that needs a 6000ft + runway.


Not sure about the 295 but certainly the other options wouldn't be happy with 5,000ft.

However, you may have a point. Our procurement process would probably start with the limitation of the Culdrose runway length and seek to buy an MPA/MMA that could use it!

[pr00ne]

Isn't this merely the merging of 1 and 9 Regiments of the AAC and the merged Regiment being redeployed to Yeovilton alongside the RN Wildcat fleet?

The subsequent closure of both Gutersloh and Dishforth airfields is more a case of rationalisation and consolidation as opposed to expansion, isn't it?

Diddly squat to do with MFTS, DHFS or anything else.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Our procurement process would probably start with the limitation of the Culdrose runway length and seek to buy an MPA/MMA that could use it!

Sounds rather like the ASR for the V Force.

[Bismark]

Seaking,

The PP is included as it is an authorised training aircraft for the Historic Flight, but no matter.

Beagle, I am not too sure whether much else was 'expanded' in the 50's. what was more significant was the development of the 2 very large hangars, offices and hard standing on the South side, together with the redevelopment of the western dispersals and hangars for the Lynx and Seakings in the 90s.

However, to see £100M invested is fairly major in today's constrained times.