RAF Mildenhall to close. Lakenheath to get F-35 by 2020

[Spitfire88]

From what I hear from local USAF and Raf is yes they are.

[baz1]

just have to look out for removal vans at Waddington!!

[slogen51]

The Newmarket Journal is saying 530 USAF staff and their dependents will move to Fairford by 2023 with Mildenhall closed by 2024

https://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk/news ... e-9049216/

[LecLightning56]

What will become of the 100th ARW? Will they relocate to Fairford or will the USAF refuelling requirement be sourced from e.g. Germany?

What springs to mind is the necessity of refuelling fighter deployments to/from Lakenheath and how the KC-135/KC-10 tankers might be sourced. Any ideas or information will be interest.

[Ghost from above]

My bet will be a rotational detachment at Fairford of 1-2 tankers.Fuel shouldn't be a problem as the site has enough spare fuel capacity and is on the fuel pipeline for resupply.

[MRTT]

Wouldn't be to surprised to see everything relocate to Fairford. I know the Germans have an issue with night flying, can't imagine that'll please the 352nd.

[bizfreeq]

What will become of the 100th ARW? Will they relocate to Fairford or will the USAF refuelling requirement be sourced from e.g. Germany?

What springs to mind is the necessity of refuelling fighter deployments to/from Lakenheath and how the KC-135/KC-10 tankers might be sourced. Any ideas or information will be interest.

Who's to say the deployments that sometimes pass through Lakenheath will continue to do so? Surely they could just as easily go through a German base if the 100th relocate and so could their tankers. Or Prestwick. Everything could now go through Fairford instead. Another scenario is fighters and tankers go through Lakenheath, there's plenty of room. At the moment no one really knows and even if someone does actually know what's going to happen, by 2025 it could all change again anyway!

[Lossie]

It was announced a long time ago that the 100th ARW are going to Ramstein. They can fly from Ramstein to refuel the 48th FW - they currently fly regularly to Germany and back without landing to refuel fighters based there.

[Ghost from above]

The big question is surely how quick and how many into service of the new tankers.
Lakenheath doesn't have the space to park all the current tankers with the required stand offs and fuel storage would be an issue.

[Tronk 11]

The tankers will still be needed as the RC-135 isn't fully fueled at take off due to the engine nacelle clearance and needs a bit of runway too. The KC-135R has the clearance issue too and are never full when they launch.
However all they do is meet up in the North sea and that can be achieved if they are based in the U.K. or europe.
The 48th FW is the issue as they use the 100th weekly, they may keep a couple of tankers at Lakenheath on TDY or a det for this.

The 352nd is planning on going to Germany.

Who knows, its all speculation and guesses, we'll see in the next decade.

[graham luxton]

The tankers will still be needed as the RC-135 isn't fully fueled at take off due to the engine nacelle clearance and needs a bit of runway too. The KC-135R has the clearance issue too and are never full when they launch.
However all they do is meet up in the North sea and that can be achieved if they are based in the U.K. or europe.
The 48th FW is the issue as they use the 100th weekly, they may keep a couple of tankers at Lakenheath on TDY or a det for this.

The 352nd is planning on going to Germany.

Who knows, its all speculation and guesses, we'll see in the next decade.

At Fairford, the intention is to increase the take off distance available by making the over runs suitable for departures only - just like it is at Mildenhall As Fairfords runway is about 800ft longer than Mildenhalls this will give it about 11,000ft for take offs - remembering that the departure end over run cannot be regarded as useable for take offs. This will allow the RC-135 to operate at higher weights without the need for supporting tankers to be based at Fairford.

[filmman]

Looking down both runways it seems that Fairford's runway isn't as flat (it's hilly) as Mildenhall's, and it has a more noticeable slope. To what extent does this negate its length advantage in one direction than the other? Is the runway work partly necessary to make it at least equivalent to Mildenhall?
Filmman

[johnwayne]

I suspect the slope is a negligable factor in affecting take off performance . However I do understand that in strengthening the overruns at Fairford to increase the take off run available the opportunity will be taken to remove the 'hill' at the western (09) end . As Graham says the bottom line is around 800ft longer TORA .

[das]

And all this to replace a perfectly good base....

[Agent K]

But, in reality it's not replacing it, it's combining forward deployed strike (bomber) and reconnaissance assets at one base, consolidating 2 into 1, whilst losing SF and Tanker assets overseas.

[iainpeden]

But, in reality it's not replacing it, it's combining forward deployed strike (bomber) and reconnaissance assets at one base, consolidating 2 into 1, whilst losing SF and Tanker assets overseas.

RIAT 2025?

[Agent K]

RIAT 2025?

Sorry, no, you've got to give me more! not sure if this is a statement, a question, a statement of knowing secret facts?

[CASH01]

It was announced a long time ago that the 100th ARW are going to Ramstein. They can fly from Ramstein to refuel the 48th FW - they currently fly regularly to Germany and back without landing to refuel fighters based there.

So far, no construction of any type to accommodate 100thARW at Ramstein at all.

Nothing prepared at Spangdahlem to welcome the 352nd there at all.

[iainpeden]

RIAT 2025?

Sorry, no, you've got to give me more! not sure if this is a statement, a question, a statement of knowing secret facts?

I think the RAFCTE which runs RIAT has an agreement until 2023 or 2024 with the USAF for the airshow to continue. We have seen the RAF use the excuse (that word chosed deliberately over "reason") to scrap the Waddington show so will the USAF/MOD decide they can't hold the show at an active base? I know U-2s use it a bit as do bombers on TDY but this is different especially as there will be work going on on the runway and new buildings being constructed on the east side of the road.

Going off thread but there is no real alternative to Fairford for RIAT.

[MRTT]

Only possible I can think of is Boscombe but, with QinetiQ & ETPS present, that could be difficult.