RAF Mildenhall is definitely closing
 

Just seen this

RAF Mildenhall to close amid other Europe consolidations - Europe - Stripes

Hmmmm but better news for Lakenheath dependant on the progress of the F-35 though reading on further looks like the U boats and RC assets will still stay herewhich suggests sunny Lincs.

Cheers

List of planned changes in Europe:

United Kingdom
Divest RAF Mildenhall:
• Returns the installation and four supported sites to the United Kingdom.
• DOD intends to relocate the operational units at RAF Mildenhall within Europe — the assigned KC-135s and the 352nd Special Operations Wing to Germany and the assigned RC-135s within the U.K. This paves the way for the stationing of two squadrons of F-35s at RAF Lakenheath, starting in 2020.
• Divest RAF Alconbury/RAF Molesworth — Consolidation of missions allows the permanent return of RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth and supporting sites to the United Kingdom. The majority of U.S. personnel, and many of the U.S.-funded host nation positions assigned to these bases will be transferred to RAF Croughton.

Germany
• Close Mainz Kastel Station — fully returns the site to Germany.
• Close Barton Barracks — fully returns the site to Germany and relocates the Department of Defense Dependents Schools district office to Sembach.
• Partially close Pulaski Barracks in the Kaiserslautem area — returns part of the site to Germany.
• Close Weilimdorf warehouse site — returns the site to German control.
• Close two Baumholder waterworks — returns control to Germany.
• Relocate HQs DISA-Europe from Stuttgart to Kaiserslautem.
• Close Amelia Earhart Hotel in Wiesbaden.
• Partially close Artillery Kaserne in Garmisch — returns two-thirds of the site to Germany.
• Restructure the Army Air Force Exchange Services bakery and water distribution operations at Grünstadt.
• Close Husterhöh Kaserne in Pirmasens — returns the site to Germany.
• Relocate mail sorting/distribution from German Aerial Mail Terminal in Frankfurt to Germersheim Army Depot — efficiencies and personnel moves only.
• Create a distribution center of excellence at Germersheim Army Depot.
• Consolidate various communication data centers across EUCOM.
• Close commissaries at Illesheim and Sembach, as well as the four commissaries in Stuttgart at Kelley Barracks, Patch Barracks, Panzer Barracks and Robinson Barracks, once a new replacement store on Panzer is constructed.
• Consolidate Defense Media Activity operations across Europe.
• Consolidate communications, postal services and personnel management that support the U.S. mission to NATO and the U.S. military delegation to the NATO military committee.

Belgium
• Divest leased site in Brussels — Consolidation of U.S. facilities in Brussels to Sterrebeek.

The Netherlands
• Divest Shinnen Emma Mine leased site, Netherlands and consolidate U.S. facilities at Brunssum.

Italy
• Place a portion of the Pisa Ammo Storage Area, near Livorno, into caretaker status.
Partially close Camp Darby near Livorno. Returns about half of the installation to Italy.
Convert the Vicenza Health Center to outpatient and specialty care only.

Portugal
• Streamline operations and property at Lajes Field — Reduces active duty, civilian personnel and contract providers by two-thirds. A number of the buildings at Lajes will also be returned to Portugal.

Terrible news for Mildenhall, there's not much around there apart from farmland and trees. The local economy will take a big hit. Who has a need for a large military installation in the back end of nowhere ?

Alconbury is a different story, Huntingdon is desperately short of housing and the local economy is booming. The main airfield site at Alconbury is already being redeveloped having been handed back years ago.

Can't see much use for Molesworth unless someone wants some very secure storage. It could provide an alternative site for the firms that have been using Alconbury on a temporary basis for the last 20 years who have got to quit the site.

RAF Mildenhall is definitely closing
 

I would have thought mildenhall would have ended up like Brize. It's a very busy base, and surely bigger than lakenheath? What a shame

The whole of the area has a desperate need for housing, because of the boom which Cambridgeshire is experiencing. The main runway at Alconbury is currently used by transport companies for storage and distribution (trailers) and new car storage. I was surprised to learn that there is still a US presence there.

Molesworth is close to the A14, which is currently being upgraded. I don't believe in coincidence, so it looks as though some significant plots of land are coming up for redevelopment...

Mildenhall is a surprise. Definitely no more open days, then. In their day they were probably some of the best in the UK, if not further afield.

Near enough for a commute to Cambridge though, which is also desperately short of building land.

Shame they're not getting out of Diego Garcia though. What a great holiday destination that could be!

There is a possible outcome that would address the need for housing around Cambridge. Marshall sell the airport for redevelopment and move to Mildenhall. The idea has been mooted before, as was the possibility of a move to Alconbury.

Me me me
 

From a purely selfish point of view it would be nice to get the airspace back.

barry lloydIt'd be an even greater home for the Chagossians to return to. They're the ones we evicted, remember?

Don't forget that the US aren't the only ones to use Molesworth - NATO has a presence there too. So unless NATO are also relocating (Wyton might be a suitable alternative given the synergies) then there'll have be some form of RAF Molesworth going forward.

Isn't Wyton also condemned ?

I'd hope not seeing as they've just spent millions moving intelligence and RE units in to the place. It's now less of a flying station and more to do with ops support and critical enabling functions.

Wyton has only just had a massive spend and infrastructure upgrade to support the move of int from Brampton. So unlikely to close any time soon......the airfield on the other hand.....

Cancel the Waddo upgrade and move all it's assets to Mildenhall!

.....and the tenants at Scampton, save bunch of money

More from the horses mouth

http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123435798

Airsound:

Yes, fully agreed. One of Britain's more recent colonial cock-ups. The whole thing was/is a scandal, but it's really for another thread, I suppose.

Being so close together, seems a "superbase" concept could be used for Mildenhall/Lakenheath? Or do they do something like this already? Yes it looks like Mildenhall will shutter, but Lakenheath will be a plus up. Could they use the housing etc at Mildenhall? Or will this be typical DoD plan to build shiny new stuff like HQ buildings and new housing at Lakenheath, when perfectly good stuff a few miles away is left to rot away....

I get that no one wants to keep two bases fully up and running and pay for two runways, crash trucks, day care centers, bowling alleys, etc and you can't move hangars and runways, it just seems like such a waste when good stuff goes to waste, especially when it it so close together.

Thoughts on Mildenhall being used as a home for 16 Air Assault?


Having an airmobile force with an airfield would be a shocker.

Thoughts on Mildenhall being used as a home for 201/120/42 Squadrons?

Hat, Coat..... Taxi !

According to the BBC local news at 1830, Marshall have said they will not be relocating to Mildenhall. The base is set to close in 4 to 5 years. All this is subject to Congressional approval.

Two F35 squadrons will move in to Lakenheath. However, they didn't say if some of the F15's currently there would leave. I'd suggest that the '15C fighters would go and be replaced by the '35's, plus another squadron, making a net 'increase' of one squadron. This would bring the 48FW up to the four squadron establishment it had a few years ago.

I suspect there will be a big surge in double glazing in Brandon, as the F35 is alleged to be a very noisy beast.......

All or part of the units at Alconbury will move to 'a base in Oxfordshire' (Croughton)??

As always, guesses are ten a penny this early on......

Two things which aren't guesses:

1. It won't be left to quietly rot like Watton, Sculthorpe and West Raynham
2. There will be a glut of ex-rental 4 and 5 bedroom houses on the market!

the local MP was on BBC Look East quoting the defence secretary who has apparently said there is no military use for the base.


another forum highlights the fact that the base is likely wired to US voltages and therefore a return to UK use might be an issue

The pavements are also called "sidewalks", so there is likely to be a huge cost in their conversion. :confused:

bobwardwell, if you look at chopper2004's 'horses mouth' (otherwise known as USAFE) you seeSo perhaps a bit better than guesses? And btw, Croughton is in Northamptonshire.

Not to mention changing the roads from driving on the right to driving on the left.

Niggling questions - tanker and Fairford and Rivet Joint
 

Though unless I am reading too much into the official press releases, a couple of things come to mind (in the vain hope of the end is not quite in sight)

Fairford is not mentioned nor Menwith Hill in any of the closure plans. In spite of the Bloody Hundreth moving completely to Ramstein, there has to be some form or fashion a tanker or two to support activities from the 'Heath. Plus I recalled several times, the Quid tankers being scrambled cos either a flock of Bones or a lone C-17 or C-5 URGENTLY needed top up this side of the Pond (well more near Irish sea) and it will take a tad longer to get the tankers from Germany.

So does anyone here think that when the Heath is the be all and end all of USAFE flight ops in the UK?

The RC-135 are slated to stay within our green shores, so does that mean Waddo becomes an outpost of Nebraska's finest?

Our Rivet Joints will need a boom equipped tanker to support, and was it somewhere I read (on here?) that the take off with full fuel load was ummm interesting from Waddo. But imagine after the runway mod / upgrade it should not be a problem

It will take at least 3/4 years before the 'Hall becomes desolate in the meantime there will be a Presidential Election come 2016 and Obama has already done his two terms already. So in effect the next President could have a different view on this and revoke this decision?

What about GlobalStrike and Dragon Lady dets still in RIAT land?

Cheers

Thought that was one of the main reasons for the upgrade?

The F35 will probably just use the place as a holding unit while they move onto their new all singing all dancing Elizabeth class carriers..

:E

What makes you think the runway will be longer.........?

S-D

I'm sure that the 493rd FS is already due to disband, which would leave just the two F-15E squadrons at Lakenheath. I'm willing to put money down that both will 'transition' to F-35As and the F-15 will disappear from UK shores.

Airsound
My apologies for getting my locations askew.

That might be the reason why their Airships turned me down when I applied for navigator many years ago......:8

bobward,

You 'applied' for navigator!!?

Didn't think that anybody did that, let alone openly admitted it...

Chopper2004,


Menwith Hill is partially 'crewed' by UK civilians and I can't see the US allowing it to be totally taken over by the UK organisation which oversees such activities.


VM

The likely future for Mildenhall? I feel an "Enterprise Zone" coming on, which means a mixed use residential and business park. I seriously doubt our Govt put up much opposition to this closure, given the attractiveness of a new overspill for Cambridge / Newmarket.


Lakenheath? Not fully clear yet, but there appears to be a "gap" of 3-4yrs between F-15's departing and F-35A's arriving. Plenty of time for things to settle on the Eastern Front. On that basis I'd be VERY surprised if any Lightning II's ever make it over...


But maybe I'm just a cynic?

Just use it as a new runway for London. No need to remove villages from the map to serve the southerners.

ZH875

Do you know where Mildenhall is? Ever tried to drive there? Ever heard of Stanstead?

I have heard of London Oxford and London Manston so why not London Mildenhall? Why put more of this country under tarmac when Mildenhall has a runway of decent length?

ZH875,

Because that runway is in MILDENHALL!!

Any proposal for how people will get to and from there, given it's, relatively speaking, in the middle of nowhere with naff all public transport links to anywhere else.....:rolleyes:

as a local, Mildenhall is difficult to access from anywhere, plus at times, the approach into Runway 06 overshoots Runway 11 at Mildenhall, which would make commercial flights approach and lift off from 29 very interesting..

Btw whats happening with Fairford/Welford ? Is it continue to stay under Croughton's guise....

cheers