Lossie protest

[Finningley Boy]

Doesn't look good for Leuchars does it, when Finningley Boy starts referring to it as mine!

There all mine!!!! Didn't you know.

FB

[just another jocky]

Originally Posted by Biggus

Therefore Lossiemouth, Leuchars, Marham, Wittering, etc are running campaigns to save the base on the belief that they are vulnerable to closure.

I don't think the stations are running any campaigns as that would be against orders, more likely it's the local politicians. Indeed, we've been told we must not take part, sign up or talk to the press.

My guess is Lossie will stay open with XV(R) + one other GR4 sqn, Kinloss runway will remain open as a mil div, Leu will close with the Typhoon moving to Lossie. Marham will remain the GR4 MOB being replaced by F35 as it comes into service. Simples! And more importantly, logical.

[Finningley Boy]

Why is the case against Leuchars so obvious and for Lossiemouth to stay open so logical? A week ago without a word said, Lossiemouth was the popular rumour mongers station to close. Then The Scotsman mentions Leuchars and speculation builds over that station closing. And why would they keep two stations open side by side. There is no military logic in closing two of the three scottish bases. Only pounds, shillings and pence ones. The only reason Kinloss is closing is because Cameron (or whoever) has decided the Nimrod is too expensive to continue with the development of. The role is recognised which is why they are seeking out poor alternatives. Nobody said Lossiemouth or Leuchars would close, its just media speculation and of course the Base personnel are not involved in anyway, but jittery locals and MPs are of course, fighting their corner. But if either closes it will be decided on factors which in the byzantine labyrinth of intrigue, purpose and motive, we just haven't thought of yet.
FB

[just another jocky]

FB, it all depends upon your start point, so for arguments sake...LOS stays open to house GR4 OCU plus 1 x FL Sqn as it will cost a lot to move them and the GR4 sims, plus usual eng support etc to LEU. LOS needs a mil div. LEU is so far away that the high div fuel means OCU studes can't do rollers as the a/c will be overweight. LEU weather factor is far worse than KSS (which is only GRN or worse for 5% of the year surprisingly). LEU infrastructure needs a huge amount spending on it whereas LOS has had a lot of the necessary infra already updated. KSS only needs to be a runway and ATC/Fire (which is already in place so no extra cost) leaving the rest of the base for the Army. LOS is big enough to support Typhoon and GR4 so why have them on 2 separate bases?

This whole SDSR is finance-driven and the closure of each of these stations (and others) is being considered. The "Save XXXXX" campaigns are all local politician/families/local community driven NOT by the stns themselves as they, quite rightly, are not allowed to.

The final decision, as you say, will probably be buried far away from our scrutiny but all we can hope for is that the facts are looked at and a sensible decision made.

JMHO of course!

[NutLoose]

Surely the sensible course of action would be to plow money into all of these Air bases or at least two of them and simply get rid of the Aircraft, such as the Navy are doing...

[baffman]

Originally Posted by just_another_jocky

I don't think the stations are running any campaigns as that would be against orders, more likely it's the local politicians. Indeed, we've been told we must not take part, sign up or talk to the press.

Agreed. The earlier poster may have meant that people in the communities affected were running or supporting these campaigns. Not the actual stations running campaigns. Plainly they are not.