It's an absolute farce. I notice that the newspaper didn't bother to raise the question as to why the MoD was abandoning a huge, well-equipped airfield and confining it's QRA activities to a tiny helicopter base with a piddling 6,000 foot runway... but then this would annoy the local politicians who effectively drove the MoD away after failing to persuade them to maintain an empty airfield so that they could run an airport for free.
I really don't know who is more stupid - the MoD for letting such a valuable asset go, or the local bigwigs for thinking the MoD would pay for their airport, but play with their RAF planes nice and quietly so as not to upset anyone.
Still, the whole concept borders on complete absurdity. I can't quite grasp the concept of "Quick" Reaction Alert if the fighter detachment requires a few days of advance warning to get over there. Presumably the terrorists will be kind enough as to advise the RAF of their intentions? Oh well, it'll make a nice photo-shoot for the media at some stage I guess - the Daily Mail readers will be able to sleep happy in their beds
