Typhoons begin leaving Leuchars this year
 

Just seen this posted on Fighter Control:-
Typhoon jets will depart Leuchars by end of year - Fife / Local / News / The Courier

Plus the post on Fighter Control with comments:-
The local paper today says . . . . • FighterControl • Military Aviation Forum

Just in time to make room for the The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys).

Regular Army Basing Plan

So the Kirknewton super-barracks is officially dead - and gliding can continue :)

Also...

1) only an Engineer Regiment at Kinloss - lots of practice at digging up runways?

2) Challenger tanks at Leuchars - resurrection of the old Tentsmuir firing range, with well-heeled golfers on the Old Course being issued with ear defenders?

Still, at least RAF ATC will have another Watchman to use for spares :)

NS

The word on Arrse seems to be that a small Crab detachment will remain in order to keep the Tarmac strip available for Royal golf charters and the like.

(ISTR on on another thread on the subject, predicting that panzers would be making an appearance.)

Perhaps they could move it to Wittering.

A woodcutter I know had regular stoppages on his chainsaw from hitting shrapnel and bullets embedded in the the trees there.

The Scots DG will be loosing their armour under Army 2020 and converting to light cav (Jackals)

The runway, as is the one at Kinloss, are to be retained in active use primarily as a diversion for Lossiemouth. When you think about it, there isn't anywhere else, other than Civilian Airports, for Typhoons returning from an exercise somewhere north of the Moray Forth to go otherwise! Next stop would Linton-on-Ouse or Leeming. Also, the UAS and AEF will remain as far as seems to be the case.

Indeed, thinking about the rationale behind the SDSR and PR2 etc, I'm not sure if the first aim was to simply find a home for Troops returning from Germany or to close as many runways as possible in order to pay off the UK's debts.

On the latter point, I'd say the SDSR certainly went a runway, or two, too far!

Anyway the Army should feel quite happy at having an airfield in the back yard, especially in these air bridge reliant expeditionary days!!:ok:

FB:)

Must have been a tough Leuchars vs Lossie decision...

Lossie not required as resident tornado aircraft going out of service...

Leuchars already has 2 typhoon squadrons, infrastructure set up and room to expand.

Lossie will need considerable, costly modifications for typhoon.

Leuchars needs nothing.

Maintaining a runway at Leuchars is essential.

Lossie doesn't need a runway.

Ding Ding! And the winner is.....Lossie!

That's going to be costly...

So, when we are down to ONE air base in Scotland will we still have an Air Rank Scotland? Guess I already know the answer, jobs for the boys and Lean is only for the rest!

BlindWingy,

I don't think anyone can fault your logic. Madness, isn't it? My thought is that the local MP put up a good fight on the grounds that closing two Morayshire bases would have been catastrophic for the local economy.

It's good to know that basing decisions are taken for sound, operational reasons! :ugh:

Could have opted for Dyce. Spare sheds on the East side. Crash & Smash onsite, along with snow-clearance security and Air Traffic. Plenty of precedents for joint civ/mil airfields elsewhere.

Doesn't matter what anyone says, the Army always manage to cock up an airfield when they move in. Look at Abingdon; a fence built all round inside the peri track; Catterick, houses built on the edge of the runway.

Courtney,

You hit the nail on the head. This is a political decision, operational considerations have taken a back seat in this case. Plus ca change some would argue!:(

You make a good point, Chevvron.

The Marines trashed the Chivenor main runway when they moved in too. I suspect that making the place as unsuitable as possible for air ops reduces the likelihood that the base could ever be returned to flying status and, therefore, Light Blue.

It will be interesting to see who rules with regard to Aircraft operations when the Army do move in. The ESUAS, AEF and the Flying Club (understandably) are low priority at the moment, but it would be prudent to promote them and actively use Leuchars for Divs and exercises as much as possible to stop any Army encroachment airside. SATCO will need to fight his corner and having as many aircraft movements as possible will help him.

On saying that, the (at the time very funny) toast by the AOC at last years BoB dining in night won't help future Army/Airforce co-operation....

"Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the ARMY....... because if they had not lost the Battle of France, we would not have WON the Battle of Britain!"

I guess future Dining in Nights will be a sea of red and black and crab jokes will predominate........

Why is maintaining a runway at Leuchars "essential"???


For the golf traffic?

One could offer an arguement that the decision was also based on operational reasons as well as political. Isn't access to low flying areas, ranges and overflying of less densely populated areas not also a consideration for maintaining Lossie for military use post-tonka?


Posted from Pprune.org App for Android

Wasn't Lossie originally designated as the Joint F35 base? And recent army utterances in the papers seem to indicate that the option for Leuchars may not be taken up due to less troops for Scotland.