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

[graham luxton]

Doubt if all the squadrons will be there together. Think the 2 F-35 squadrons will have Lakenheath as their main base but will replace 2 of USAFEs F-16 squadrons deploying/rotating to other locations as required, to fill in for the Fighting Falcons eventual withdrawal.
This reminds me of the `Cold War` days when UK based F-100's were routinely rotated to Aviano and bases in Turkey and remember many times when Lakenheath only had 2 Hun squadrons in situ.

[XWP29]

Doubt if all the squadrons will be there together. Think the 2 F-35 squadrons will have Lakenheath as their main base but will replace 2 of USAFEs F-16 squadrons deploying/rotating to other locations as required, to fill in for the Fighting Falcons eventual withdrawal.
This reminds me of the `Cold War` days when UK based F-100's were routinely rotated to Aviano and bases in Turkey and remember many times when Lakenheath only had 2 Hun squadrons in situ.

Reading the Stars and Stripes article suggests that they will be alongside each other. Once the F35's are fully operational that may change. At least the 493rd are here for a few more years by the look of it. The F15-C's are very useful to have around, and out and out fighters still have a role to play yet.
There is a significant amount of construction work scheduled and with the 56th moving that provides some extra space.

Still hoping to see some of all five Sqaudrons Aircraft lining up at the Brandon Road end for take off, even if only for a couple of years.

[paddyboy]

Sounds like 'Fightertown' is coming to East Anglia

Bring it on

Cheers

Paddyboy

[XWP29]

Hi Paddy,
Sure does!

[Fat Bob John]

Sounds like 'Fightertown' is coming to East Anglia

Bring it on

Cheers

Paddyboy

Now if it was F-22's you could say that! But isn't the F35 not a glorified mud mover?
(Lights blue touch paper and retires to a safe distance in deepest darkest Aberdeenshire! )

[Blackcat1]

Glorified mud mover lol ;-)

[BOLLO]

This looks interesting .

http://www.janes.com/article/67072/us-l ... _Y.twitter

[mdobuk21]

Fairford??

[Lossie]

Already been announced Mildenhall RC-135s are going to Lakenheath.

[slogen51]

It's madness - all that money spent on upgrading Waddington's runway!

Mildenhall has a 10 000 foot takeoff runway - better to have closed Waddo and have the RAF move back into Mildenhall.

(Boscombe has a long runway)

Lakenheath's runway similar to Waddo plus the cables are normally rigged for fast jet ops

[city42]

Already been announced Mildenhall RC-135s are going to Lakenheath.

there been no official announcement only people on here any way it may all change from tomorrow

[mushbuster]

Lossie, it has been stated on here by persons who know persons that profess to know, that the RJ mission was going to Lakenheath. I don't think that has ever been officially announced whilst the F35s, KC135s and Special Ops missions have all had official announcements in various publications. The absence of an official statement on the RJ mission after two years would surely indicate that the decision has not yet been finalised.

[page_verify]

Correct. There has been no decision made, and therefore no announcement been made, about where the RC-135s will move to.

To help understand some of considerations the USAF must be having right now, the RC-135s love very long runways, as the RAF are finding.

Waddington's total available take off runway length is 9,279ft,
Lakenheath's is 9,000ft,
Mildenhall's is 10,221ft and
Fairford's is 10,997ft. Fairford's apparently can be lengthened to around 12,000ft for not much money.


If I put my management strategy hat on, I suspect someone right now is working out who could pay to build the infrastructure at Fairford needed to support 24/7 operations and 500 permanently deployed USAF personnel, while higher-ups are asking why they can't just move to Lakenheath.

Time will tell gentlemen.

[TonyO]

The Janes story is out of date, the 95th's OL will be Lakenheath.

[Unknown74]

Be interesting to see what happens with this now that "The Donald" (President Donald J Trump) has taken over?

[MRTT]

Don't think much will change, depends.

[reaperops]

Nothing is changing.

[slogen51]

I understand from earlier posts that the RC-135s will be at Lakenheath.

But I can't understand how it can work from an operational aspect. For example, the other day when the Saudi delivery flight was inbound, Lakenheath's runway was closed while the cables were reset before and after a C-17 landed (10-0217). This caused locals and the Retros to hold while the runway reopened.

Will the same occur whenever a RC-135 uses the runway? Or maybe they are hoping the USAF RC-135 won't need a permanent presence this side of the Atlantic?

[plmc135]

Don't panic Mike, it will be known as forward planning. Oh hang on a minute that is something the powers that be in USA are not very good at but I am sure Donald J will sort it!

[filmman]

Question, can you have a cable system that deploys and retracts at the fick of a switch. Or do you lengthen the runway so that none hooked planes land further down the runway and hooked (F15) land at the start before the cable; or is that unsafe. Elsewhere do they have the problem of busy runways landing mixed hooked and non-hooked planes?
Thought is Mildenhall staying open longer so they can lengthen Lakenheath's runway, moved the public road out of the way and build more airfield structure. You could even lengthen the runway used by RC-135's.
Filmman