Which RAF Stations will Go.

[Styron]

Which RAF Bases to Close.

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Obviously Lyneham, Coltishall and the minor bases such as Boulmer and Neatishead have already been announced.

Eurofighters will now only operate from Conningsby and Leuchars rather than the three bases which were initially identified, with Leeming's future left unclear.

RAF St Mawgan looks destined for closure with the last of the operational units being moved to RAF Valley.

Other bases which could see cuts include the Defence Logistic Organisations
bases at Wyton, Brampton and Henlow with the DLO Work being transferred to Bath, Photo Inteligence from Brampton going to Waddington and Henlow's and Halton's training facilities being transferred to Cosford and Cranwell.

The RAF Personnel and Training Command at RAF Innsworth is also to be closed and amalgamated with strike command at RAF High Wycombe.

There is a high probability that Cottesmore and Wittering will be amalgamated and RAF Honnington will remain as the RAF Regiments HQ.

RNAS Yeovilton could house the new Joint Helicopter Units and may also become a permament base for the Royal Marines, although Lyneham has also been mentioned as a possible Royal Marine base as has HMS Dryad.

Other bases which could also be closed include the UAS bases which are rumoured to now be based in two central locations (this may see the closure of many UAS bases such as Woodvale, Church Fenton and Wyton), whilst SAR Squadrons will have their maintenance put out to tender.

The two Scottish Stations im Morayshire will see cuts and there will be decreased number of Nimrods RAF Kinloss which will see a substantial cut in manpower.

In London RAF Northolt is to be the main operating base for London with Uxbridge, Bentley Priory and other units all closing.

RAF Shawbury is unlikely to close (although it's role is being reviewed), as it was initially chosen ahead of Culdrose and the Army Air Corp base at Middle Wallop to house the Defence Helicopter Training School and because it also maintains a unique airframe cooling system.

RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland will also see some helicopters withdrawn as part of the peace process.

[Front Seater]

Sounds about right to me - but here we go again with another anxious wait for Servicemen and their families. Why on earth didn't the Politicians and Blimps get their act together and do it all in one fail swoop, rather than penny packet it (rhetorical question as I know the political answer why!). Please don't say not enough time, how many visits and years does a 'working group' need to rationalise Defence estates?

The 'roller coaster' of Service life hey and the hits just keep on coming! The good thing is that we will probably be out of the country, so the wife can do the move! (joke! )

[Jobza Guddun]

"Why on earth didn't the Politicians and Blimps get their act together and do it all in one fail swoop, rather than penny packet it"

Cos they haven't got the balls. Frightened of the "right, that's it" mentality becoming widespread instead of within dissaffected individuals.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

Obviously Lyneham

I wouldn't bank on Lyneham closing quite so soon.

The review that came up with Lyneham closing in 2012 was carried out with information given before they did a whole load of work on the C130K.

That is, the C130K is now likely to be in service well beyond 2012.

Officially, the line is that Lyneham will close in 2012 regardless. (So they're going to have to put the K fleet somewhere)

Rumours, and attitude at Lyneham are as follows, (we are told nothing)

Work goes on as usual.

There is no sign of plans to move the J's to Brize quite yet!

C130 K Mk3A's in service 'til 2020 ?

Most common comment is 'It won't happen in my lifetime' (meaning career)

Work goes on as usual.


PS. The C17 is so good at transporting large amounts of stuff that Brize can't cope and send the odd one to Lyneham to use our Movers!

[pr00ne]

Styron,

You won’t fit all that is at Odiham, Benson and Dishforth in Leeming, it’s simply not big enough, lacks hangars etc, etc. The Chinook fleet could well make the move, leading to Odiham closing.
Topcliffe is just up the road from Leeming so if the Army don’t need that there is the possibility of a twin base.

100 Sqn, the UAS and a Rock Sqn are already at Leeming don’t forget.

Wyton, Brampton and Henlow also have far too much to fit in at Bath, it’s a fairly restricted site and not exactly cheap! Likewise there is an awful lot at Halton that wouldn’t fit at Cosford, don’t forget that they have tried to close Halton once before and came a bit of a cropper over who the land reverts to.

Yeovilton could provide a home for the JHC rotary fleet from Benson, although there’s a lot at Benson in addition to helicopters!

I think Benson is the most likely to close, followed by Odiham and St.Mawgan.

It’s all speculation though, why on earth this couldn’t have been announced at the same time as everything was on Wednesday is a bit of a mystery.

SirPeter etc etc,

Don’t be too sure about no work going on to move the J to Brize!

A400M will sound the death knell of the K, they have 8 years to sort it out.

[Styron]

Yes I agree with you on most of your points, although Wattisham could also take Helicopters.

As for moving training it wouldn't all go to Cosford, some enginnering training could be moved to St Athan, whilst other units could go to Cranwell.

As for the DLO bases it has been made clear that large cuts will go ahead and also that training establishments face amalgamation

As for Yeovilton it would make a good JHC base, but at present with further Naval cuts and the scrapping of much of the FAA's roles including Sea Harrier, it is looking increasingly at risk.

Finally the Review was not full announced because Geoff Hoon is hoping to get moved in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle as he has made it clear that he is unhappy at the MoD.

Geoff has therefore left his predessor to be the bearer of bad news.

[Grimweasel]

Sending the CH47's to Leeming would not be a sound idea because the main user is not anyone based up in Catterick.
16 Air Assault is based in Colchester and therfore one could argue that Honnington or Wattisham would be a better base for them?

Odiham is prime time real estate and no-wonder the MoD wants to sell it off to developers. Even better why not commision the builders yourself and then make even more cash for the mod by selling off the individual houses?

[Styron]

Does any one else have any ideas about which stations will go.

[BATS]

Interesting debate, but no-one has mentioned where JSF/JCA will fit into the future picture. Given the numbers we are allegedly signed up to buying they will likely exceed the capacity of one base. Anyone got any ideas ?

[Jackonicko]

Benson? Everyone keeps saying it, but it's insane. It's the nearest airfield to Strike. The nearest airfield to London for London UAS (the largest) and associated AEF activity. The Puma fleet has been repreived. Benson has refurbished hangars, much new infrastructure and all the sims. It is worth 'eff all because most of it reverts back to the owners, it's green belt and on the edge of the Chiltern area of outstanding natural beauty so development is impossible. It's also relatively well placed for Brize, Colchester and the Salisbury Plain........

Whereas Coltishall, Leeming, Leuchars, Lossie, Northolt, Yeovilton, Netheravon, Middle Wallop, and Dishforth all look more dodgy.

[Styron]

I suppose Cottesmore, Wittering and Yeovilton would be most likely to house the JSF.

As for my personal view and if they are to reduce Eurofighters why not close Lossiemouth and move the aircraft there to Leeming.

Kinloss could then host visiting squadrons who wished to train in the Scottish Highlands.

It just seems a little surreal having those two bases in the middle of no where at a time of such major closures.

[pr00ne]

Bats,

Cottesmore for JSF, if there’s any overspill Wittering is just down the road, they already operate partially as a twin base supporting the Harrier force.

JN,

Why is Benson’s proximity to Strike of any relevance? Booker is rather closer but that still closed!
London UAS is at Wyton and why do you need TWO military airfields close to London when you have Northolt?
Are you SURE it’s green belt? Prescott’s development plans for Oxfordshire over the next ten years call for thousands upon thousands of new homes…………………

[Jackonicko]

Proooone.

Yes, I'm sure it's green belt.

The new houses for Oxfordshire will all be at Didcot/Bicester/Banbury - not where they're needed, silly.

I hear murmurs of London UAS moving back to join Oxford and the AEF activity.

Benson's already an important comms stop for Strike, and for other local defence related establishments.

[BEagle]

OK - you didn't hear this from me, but I can reveal that the following will probably close:

Acklington
Alconbury
Andover
Ballykelly
Bassingbourn
Binbrook
Bovingdon
Brawdy
Driffield
Elvington
Fulbeck
Gaydon
Gravely
Greenham Common
Lindholme
Little Rissington
Manby
North Luffenham
Oakington
Ouston
Pershore
St Davids
Spitalgate
Stradishall
Strubby
Swinderby
Tangmere
Ternhill
Thorney Island
West Raynham.....

But that's all I'll tell fishing journos...the rest you'll have to find out for yourself

[jack-oh]

I have heard a rumour that the JSF is so noisy that the likelihood of it going to Whittering, following the recent noise pollution court case, is now looking dodgy. Equally, although an announcement has been made that the VSTOL variant is the one we want, problems have occurred in its design and there remains the possibility the purely naval version will be looked at again. This leaves the decision of where to base them when they come on line. For many reasons including: airspace, training areas, noise, access to the sea for embarkation, twin bases (due to numbers and servicing requirements) etc, etc. both Yeovilton and St Mawgan as well as Lossiemouth and Kinloss have been mentioned as alternatives to Cottesmore and Whittering. Again, this is all rumour and the DART report due out in the New Year will hopefully put to bed all of this conjecture.

Ps

St Mawgan will never close as it hardly costs the MOD anything to run. That is why it has managed to survive countless cutbacks in the past whilst still on the surface having only 4 helicopters based there.

[RonRandom]

The STOVL variant of JSF isn't really what we want - it's what the harrier mafia at the top of the RAF want, and what the politicians want. The forces want something with decent bring-back, ie the conventional version. The new carriers will be designed for, but not fitted with, the cats and arrestor gear required - but it's not too late to bite the bullet and go for the full monty version. That way we get sea-based jets with good load capacity when there's no shore option, and land-based jets with good load capacity when HNS is available. Hmmmm....

[pr00ne]

BEagle,

Also rumoured to be for the chop as full blown RAF stations;

Abingdon
Aston Down
Bicester
Biggin Hill
Bishops Court
Catterick
Chivenor
Church Fenton
Colerne
Debden
Dishforth
Duxford
Finningley
Hawkinge
Hullavington
Hornchurch
Kemble
Leconfield
Martlesham Heath
Mountbatten
North Weald
Old Sarum
South Cerney
St Eval
Thornaby
Topcliffe
Waterbeach
West Malling
Worksop

Can’t see it myself………………………………….

(How could you miss out Heaven in Devon?)

[A and C]

I dispair when see the all the arrmed forces taking cuts of this type and with the security situation at the moment it seems a little foolish of the goverment to say the least.

But having been quite close to the forces of late I have to ask how much money is being squandered by the over the top health and safety requirments , people "over specifing" contracts way beond what would be excepted in the commercial world just to ensure that there is not even the remotest chance of any "come back" on them self's if something should go wrong and just good old fashoned lack of commercial nouse ?.

I know of a number of inccidents but I would not like to make them public for fear of the damaging effect that it might have on my contacts.

This all leads me to think that what is needed is the employment of a "station money saver" pay would only be a percentage of money saved and with a very strict rule that the "sharp end" of the forces should be enhanced by these efforts not suffer because of them and so the efforts should be strictly commercial with the military checking the results , the civil service should NOT be involved as they at the root of most of the day to day waste.

I feel that a lot of people in the defence contract and health & safety industrys may well have a lot to answer for having gold plated contracts over the years.

[BEagle]

Ah well, Chivenor hasn't exactly closed - just been transferred to other occupants.

[nimboboy]

Which base should close,

Hi all,
My first post, but a subject close to my heart, St Mawgan must
not close for many reasons, not least its geographical positon,
its along way to the next long runway if you have a bit of a
problem, unless you fancy the barrier at little culdrose!.
Our tone stated not so long that three bases would be
enabled for QRA aircraft, this was done at SMG, although not
yet used its there and ready. 203(r) leaving would not affect
the fact SMG caters for many visiting A/C, deployments, and
exercises,mil and civil,lack of the latter by the way would make
SMG not worth selling, even if they could sell it, which they can
not, there is one nearby land owner waiting at the fence
building plans in hand. Back to my first point, only last week
a SHAR made an emergency landing at SMG on a MAYDAY call,
Many A/C have been saved an uncertain fate under similar
circs over years, how much does it cost to keep SMG operating
compared to the loss of 1 A/C,and more importantly those on
board, sorry if Ihave gone on to long, but I better.