Originally Posted by
pr00ne
SLXOwft,
Leuchars was never slated to get F-35.
8 Sqn to Lossiemouth makes perfect sense as it is a fleet of 9 P-8A and between 3 and 5 E-7A with a common airframe and engines, so support in one location makes perfect sense, especially considering the significant financial investment in infrastructure at Lossiemouth, why duplicate that at Waddington?
As to 'whither Waddo" as someone else posted further up the page. Yes, after 8 Sqn go north and 5 Squadron disband, poor Waddington will be left with only;
14 Squadron.
51 Squadron.
Electronic Warfare Avionics Division.
54 Squadron OCU.
56 Squadron OEU.
The Air Battlespace Training Centre.
92 Squadron.
The Air Warfare Centre.
The RAF Aerobatic Team The Red Arrows.
13 Squadron.
31 Squadron.
39 Squadron.
616 Sqn RAuxAF.
ISR Support Squadron.
54 Signals Unit.
8 Force Protection Wing.
5 Police Squadron.
2503 RAuxAF Regiment Squadron.
7006 Squadron RAuxAF.
7010 Squadron RAuxAF.
7630 Squadron RAuxAF.
The tumbleweed must really blow there eh?
That's fascinating pr00ne, but some of those squadrons you list are merely "numberplates" with little or no assigned assets and low manpower I'd imagine. In terms of aviation assets you'll be looking at less than 20 assigned aircraft, and that's including 11 red jets.
For a supposed main operating base that has just had many millions spent on it, on runway and related infra, it doesn't tell a good story.
And on a related point, about eggs in one basket, only time will tell whether centralising the whole RAF FW frontline on 4 MOBs was a sensible idea or not.