FighterControl

The Guardian has an article about the possible return of nuclear weapons back to Lakenheath again.

An interesting read


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... ar-weapons

Yes very interesting. I suppose it would not be logical to conclude that the weapons will not arrive before 2026 just because the new accommodation block(s) won't be finished until then. The report is a bit behind with their statement on the F35A's at the base though.

£39 million quid for a 144 bed dormitary sounds a tad on the expensive side to me.

Yammer wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 29, 2023 5:53 pm

The Guardian has an article about the possible return of nuclear weapons back to Lakenheath again.

An interesting read


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... ar-weapons

Probably never withdrawn tbh....

Anyhow anyone remember the anti nuke crowd that turned up couple of times to protest at viewing area a year and half ago? I think there has been another one since then, will we see the great unwashed attach themselves to the fence??

Guess we better be on the lookout

cheers

There has been a special weapons store at Lakenheath since the late 1950's I think. If you look back at the record for nuclear accidents there was a famous one where a
B47 skidded off the runway and ploughed into the storage area. A lot of panic for a while until the fire was sorted out.

Remembering how much aggravation Just Stop Oil caused, what might CND come up with? Just as long as they stay away during Cobra Warrior, or else there might be
unpleasantness......

I was lead to believe there is unconventional ordinance there already.

I'm with the camp that they've never gone anywhere after reading this.

UK Ministry of Defence said: “It remains a long-standing UK and Nato policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location.”

I'd also be very surprised if they weren't stored at Welford due to it's proximity to Fairford.

They'll not make it public knowledge though

The policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons applies across the other NATO bases too, but we do in fact know which of those have nuclear weapons actively stored. In fact a while back we even found out which exact vaults they were stored in thanks to some carelessly published online revision cards.

Lakenheath's vaults were emptied in 2008. This wasn't a media ploy, it wasn't even officially announced - both the US and UK declined to comment on it, it was information gathered and published by the Federation of American Scientists. As secret as they try to keep these things, if those vaults were still carrying live ammo it's very unlikely that absolutely nobody would have picked up on it by now.

As for RAF Welford, there's no indication of any storage facilities there suitable for storing nuclear weapons. Nuclear storage facilities are not difficult to spot.

Nice to see the Daily Telegraph are on the ball, reporting the imminent arrival of F35s at Lakenheath.........

Vulture 01 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 31, 2023 8:23 am

Nice to see the Daily Telegraph are on the ball, reporting the imminent arrival of F35s at Lakenheath.........

I read that

This thread and the guardian article are a 'fly in the ointment' as far as I am concerned as now coach loads of CND will be turning up for quick climb Friday along with all the other spectators.

Roll on the end of the school summer holidays

LN has always had the capacity to house nukes, so they’re probably already there, or have always been there locked up in the WSA?
Who knows what comes and goes aboard the C5s & C17s?

TB

slogen51 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 31, 2023 6:44 pm

This thread and the guardian article are a 'fly in the ointment' as far as I am concerned as now coach loads of CND will be turning up for quick climb Friday along with all the other spectators.

Roll on the end of the school summer holidays

Yes and finally places to park in the Loop!! Only spaces I’ve found in the summer are pub and restaurant car parks! Not that I’m bothered as it saves my knees climbing mountains and you can watch the jets go over relaxed with a pint

Don't blame you - I don't go to the loop because it's not my ' thing'

Perhaps I should go , park up taking a space and ask 'is anything happening ' or ' are they quick climbing today?!

slogen51 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 31, 2023 7:07 pm

Don't blame you - I don't go to the loop because it's not my ' thing'

Perhaps I should go , park up taking a space and ask 'is anything happening ' or ' are they quick climbing today?!

It’s noisy and exciting! Especially when you don’t know what’s around the hilly corner

Blackcat1 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 31, 2023 7:25 pm

slogen51 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 31, 2023 7:07 pm

Don't blame you - I don't go to the loop because it's not my ' thing'

Perhaps I should go , park up taking a space and ask 'is anything happening ' or ' are they quick climbing today?!

It’s noisy and exciting! Especially when you don’t know what’s around the hilly corner

F15s, F35s, Typhoons, Ospreys all without moving from the beer garden at the Brigands Inn, I leave the mountain climbing to the others, better noise from underneath

Oh dear I feel we are about to be moderated for thread creep - you on the ale me on the prosecco!

But we shouldn't be talking about weapons of mass destruction and the basing thereof - this is a military aviation site - should stick to planes , serials and squadrons

TankBuster wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 31, 2023 6:50 pm

LN has always had the capacity to house nukes, so they’re probably already there, or have always been there locked up in the WSA?
Who knows what comes and goes aboard the C5s & C17s?

TB

The people who keep track of these things as a job are actually pretty good at working out when there's a nuclear weapons related move. That's how we know they were removed from LN. They will not use C-5s nowadays. The only unit tasked with nuclear weapon movements left is a C-17 unit.

slogen51 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 31, 2023 6:44 pm

This thread and the guardian article are a 'fly in the ointment' as far as I am concerned as now coach loads of CND will be turning up for quick climb Friday along with all the other spectators.

Roll on the end of the school summer holidays

Picked up by the Daily M today and reported as being at RAF Larkenfield. Two new squadrons of F-35’s etc These speculative feeds, jumped on by the Guardian are’nt at all news worthy and don’t add anything in my view of course.

The only Wing responsible for the transport of nuclear material around the globe since 1963 has been the Mc Chord based 62nd AW. Starting with C-124's then C-141's and now C-17's.