New Wedgetail surveillance fleet to be based at RAF Lossiemouth

[Vulcan74]

And if anyone mentions the MRA4 or AEW3.


What do you mean !!!

[ColintheCaterpillar]

I think the boat sailed on anyone arguing in their favour many, many years ago.

And neither would be airworthy under Hadden-Cave

[Vulcan74]

The MRA4 would still have been a good contender in todays climate, and would have continued with upgrades!! Like the B-52 the MRA4 could have carried on!

[quid21]

I read somewhere that the Waddington RC-135s are moving to Mildenhall. So that might mean that the RCs in general are staying at Mildenhall?

Makes a lot of sense to put like for like together with all the maintenance issues that an old airframe require, especially with all the KCs there too.

[Supra]

What's a RC-135 got in common with a KC-46B as they will be if Mildenhall remains an operational Tanker Base?

[jamesg23]

Would it not make more sense to relocate the 1 or 2 white tops to waddington? After all, there will be more space for them and a large hangar that can fully fit a RC135 not to mention the simulator thats there. I would of thought the infrastructure is better at waddington than it is at mildenhall to support an RC135.

[Agent K]

Would it not make more sense to relocate the 1 or 2 white tops to waddington? After all, there will be more space for them and a large hangar that can fully fit a RC135 not to mention the simulator thats there. I would of thought the infrastructure is better at waddington than it is at mildenhall to support an RC135.

Why would the USAF relocate them, for what reason? there’s no need to? And after far more years of operating them from Mildenhall than the RAF have at Waddington I’d imagine the infrastructure is just fine at Mildenhall!

[Contrail1958]

I notice no-one ever mention's the guy's on the ground. Move this bit of tin here or that bit of tin there.
These need support both in manpower and the families around them.
Before anyone asks, Lossie has had ample housing which has been empty for some considerable time.

[sschofield]

‘Eggs all in one basket’, may have been true during WWII, but during the Cold War a couple of ICBM’s would put an end to everything anywhere within a couple of minutes.

Not forgetting that these things still exist, they're still on alert ready to go if needed, although the political landscape has changed beyond recognition. If we ever get to the stage where we are lobbing ICBMs at each other then the whole thing is a bit of a moot point really!

[ColintheCaterpillar]

Would it not make more sense to relocate the 1 or 2 white tops to waddington? After all, there will be more space for them and a large hangar that can fully fit a RC135 not to mention the simulator thats there. I would of thought the infrastructure is better at waddington than it is at mildenhall to support an RC135.

See the discussion earlier this week on KC/RC-135 takeoff performance. Waddington’s runway can’t grow any more.

[ColintheCaterpillar]

The MRA4 would still have been a good contender in todays climate, and would have continued with upgrades!!

But it wouldn’t. A load of bespoke airframes using large element of previous conversions dating from 1960s conversions of an airframe conceived in the 1940s. It was a regulatory nightmare and endless money pit waiting to happen. That’s the reality.

Instead it’s been replaced with a modern, far easier to certify, conversion of the most successful airliner of the last 50 years allowing access to a huge safety and maintenance network, as opposed to 9 or so airframes where BAES could - and no doubt would - name their price.

[plmc135]

The MRA4 would still have been a good contender in todays climate, and would have continued with upgrades!!

But it wouldn’t. A load of bespoke airframes using large element of previous conversions dating from 1960s conversions of an airframe conceived in the 1940s. It was a regulatory nightmare and endless money pit waiting to happen. That’s the reality.

Instead it’s been replaced with a modern, far easier to certify, conversion of the most successful airliner of the last 50 years allowing access to a huge safety and maintenance network, as opposed to 9 or so airframes where BAES could - and no doubt would - name their price.

Hmm an interesting comparison. The first flight of the Nimrod was 22/05/1967 and the first flight of Boeing 737 09/04/1967

[ColintheCaterpillar]

The MRA4 would still have been a good contender in todays climate, and would have continued with upgrades!!

But it wouldn’t. A load of bespoke airframes using large element of previous conversions dating from 1960s conversions of an airframe conceived in the 1940s. It was a regulatory nightmare and endless money pit waiting to happen. That’s the reality.

Instead it’s been replaced with a modern, far easier to certify, conversion of the most successful airliner of the last 50 years allowing access to a huge safety and maintenance network, as opposed to 9 or so airframes where BAES could - and no doubt would - name their price.

Hmm an interesting comparison. The first flight of the Nimrod was 22/05/1967 and the first flight of Boeing 737 09/04/1967

It is. But that fact is irrelevant.

It’s a comparison between a bespoke limited run airframe with an airframe that has been continually developed and still in production today and meeting current airworthiness standards. Is it around 7000 737NG (the model family P-8 and E-7 are derived from) that have been built? And, if you care to study the detail of my previous post, you’ll note the referral - more importantly - to Nimrods 1940s origins. It’s like arguing for a Shackleton derivative still doing the job.

Sometimes we need to leave this “sovereign manufacturing” argument in the 20th century where (unfortunately) it belongs.

[65thAgressor]

As my post is locked I'll ask again .what's Waddington for ? All that expense on a new runway for what ?

[seven]

Plans change, happens everyday for projects costing 30quid or 30million. Nothing new here.

[Fighterfoto]

65thAggressor - well these for a start:

14 Squadron.
51 Squadron.
Electronic Warfare Avionics Division.
54 Squadron OCU.
56 Squadron OEU.
The Air Battlespace Training Centre (being upgraded at present)
92 Squadron.
The Air & Space Warfare Centre.
Red Arrows (soon).
XIII Squadron.
616 Sqn RAuxAF.
ISR Support Squadron.
54 Signals Unit.
8 Force Protection Wing.
5 Police Squadron.
2503 RAuxAF Regiment Squadron.
7006 Squadron RAuxAF.
7010 Squadron RAuxAF.
7630 Squadron RAuxAF.

Also host participants in Cobra Warrior and will in due course have 31 Sqn flying the Protector RG1.

[ColintheCaterpillar]

As my post is locked I'll ask again .what's Waddington for ? All that expense on a new runway for what ?

Well, certainly more operationally useful at Waddington than doing Scampton’s.

Even when V and 8 move out, and maybe 51 later, it’ll still be a busy runway.

[Ghost from above]

Err I hate to point out but RAF RC's have already successfully used Mildenhall when Waddingtons runway was closed. Succesfully integrating and using the USAF RC's facilities as well as creating some of there own.

[Fighterfoto]

Well bearing in mind the RAF RJs are part of a single fleet that doesn’t indicate anything, and it’s quite different moving a whole squadron where personnel and their families have to be accommodated. The cost of providing that has to be a factor against a move I’d suggest.

[f-4]

Not to mention many at RAF Digby work closely with 51 Sqn.