Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

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

A forum for discussing all things related to MILITARY AVIATION including Military Aviation news. No off-topic discussions here please.
Locked
tm74sqn
Posts: 1605
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 3:27 pm
Location: Oxfordshire

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

Post by tm74sqn » Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:24 pm

Couple of dozen HASs (A-10 sized?) plus a dozen larger HASs (TR-1 / U-2 sized?) still there - could be useful. Just remove the cars, ISO containers, etc, and resurface runway and taxiways to make a very nice base! But it will (probably) never happen.

iainpeden
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 7:20 pm

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

Post by iainpeden » Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:36 pm

RIAT 2025?

User avatar
Nighthawke
Posts: 5298
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:04 pm

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

Post by Nighthawke » Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:49 pm

Deja vu - you wrote exactly the same thing on Monday!

User avatar
BOLLO
Posts: 95263
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 4:22 pm
Location: Nottingham/Mildenhall.

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

Post by BOLLO » Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:34 am

tm74sqn wrote:
Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:24 pm
Couple of dozen HASs (A-10 sized?) plus a dozen larger HASs (TR-1 / U-2 sized?) still there - could be useful. Just remove the cars, ISO containers, etc, and resurface runway and taxiways to make a very nice base! But it will (probably) never happen.
Build another control tower as the old one was demollished .
http://www.airfighters.com/photosearch.php?phgid=SHED" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; LOADES
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... _entry=140+" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; at last

What do cry when we see The Man With the Stick???

User avatar
andrewn
Posts: 1119
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:47 pm
Location: Cheshire

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

Post by andrewn » Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:50 am

BOLLO wrote:
Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:34 am
tm74sqn wrote:
Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:24 pm
Couple of dozen HASs (A-10 sized?) plus a dozen larger HASs (TR-1 / U-2 sized?) still there - could be useful. Just remove the cars, ISO containers, etc, and resurface runway and taxiways to make a very nice base! But it will (probably) never happen.
Build another control tower as the old one was demollished .
Right, it's not the airfield site that is being retained - it's just a small enclave that is now RAF Alconbury.

The airfield site is history, rapidly being bulldozed and turned into "Alconbury Weald". There's a group of very clever land speculators whom bought the airfield site off the MoD a few years ago for a knock-down price, and are in the process of making an absolute fortune off the proceeds of the 5,000+ houses and associated industrial property development.

iainpeden
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 7:20 pm

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

Post by iainpeden » Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:12 am

Nighthawke wrote:
Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:49 pm
Deja vu - you wrote exactly the same thing on Monday!
I did but in a slightly different context. :halo:

romeo bravo
Posts: 646
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:37 pm

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

Post by romeo bravo » Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:48 am

Exactly AndrewN. A Security Team that can be moved to somewhere else; say Fairford?!?!

Airfield is gone.

User avatar
Knife 04
Posts: 3407
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:05 pm
Location: 'Up the smoke doin' a deal'

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

Post by Knife 04 » Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:57 am

andrewn wrote:
Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:50 am
BOLLO wrote:
Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:34 am
tm74sqn wrote:
Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:24 pm
Couple of dozen HASs (A-10 sized?) plus a dozen larger HASs (TR-1 / U-2 sized?) still there - could be useful. Just remove the cars, ISO containers, etc, and resurface runway and taxiways to make a very nice base! But it will (probably) never happen.
Build another control tower as the old one was demollished .
Right, it's not the airfield site that is being retained - it's just a small enclave that is now RAF Alconbury.

The airfield site is history, rapidly being bulldozed and turned into "Alconbury Weald". There's a group of very clever land speculators whom bought the airfield site off the MoD a few years ago for a knock-down price, and are in the process of making an absolute fortune off the proceeds of the 5,000+ houses and associated industrial property development.
Same as Heyford with the housing although some of the infrastructure there is in surprisingly good condition including the QRA area, HAS complexes and command bunkers

Reach1985
Posts: 502
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 1:01 pm
Location: Norwich

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

Post by Reach1985 » Mon Nov 26, 2018 12:21 pm

Knife 04 wrote:
Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:57 am
andrewn wrote:
Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:50 am
BOLLO wrote:
Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:34 am


Build another control tower as the old one was demollished .
Right, it's not the airfield site that is being retained - it's just a small enclave that is now RAF Alconbury.

The airfield site is history, rapidly being bulldozed and turned into "Alconbury Weald". There's a group of very clever land speculators whom bought the airfield site off the MoD a few years ago for a knock-down price, and are in the process of making an absolute fortune off the proceeds of the 5,000+ houses and associated industrial property development.
Same as Heyford with the housing although some of the infrastructure there is in surprisingly good condition including the QRA area, HAS complexes and command bunkers
Sorry slightly off topic but am I right in thinking that UH, or parts of UH are now Grade II listed?

Merlin37
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:34 pm

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

Post by Merlin37 » Mon Nov 26, 2018 2:46 pm

romeo bravo wrote:
Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:48 am
Exactly AndrewN. A Security Team that can be moved to somewhere else; say Fairford?!?!

Airfield is gone.
The Airfield may be gone but Alconbury is there solely to support Molesworth, which i have been told by people there that its not going anywhere anytime soon, due to the nature of the work carried out there and the expense of moving it.

User avatar
Ravendriver2008
Posts: 727
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:29 pm

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

Post by Ravendriver2008 » Mon Nov 26, 2018 11:13 pm

tm74sqn wrote:
Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:24 pm
Couple of dozen HASs (A-10 sized?) plus a dozen larger HASs (TR-1 / U-2 sized?) still there - could be useful. Just remove the cars, ISO containers, etc, and resurface runway and taxiways to make a very nice base! But it will (probably) never happen.
TR-1 / U-2 HASs still there, as with Magic Mountain and Weapons storage Areas

The other HASs no longer there,

Alconbury Weald housing development ...albeit small village already has inhabitants

I am one of the volunteers with the Team Alconbury / Airfield Research Group on-site there.

Several companies have set up shop with large warehouses already on site.

One saving grace is flying in the form of MAGPAS relocating to Alconbury Weald in 2020...from Wytom with their new soon to be delivered Leonardo AW169. However those of us in training for PPl(H) were allowed to perform touch and go landings on the Airfield till 2 years back when some residents in Huntingdon moaned about helicopter noise so Urban and Civi revoked permission for Robinson R22/44 to use and ordered the H symbols to be painted over.

TBH... wished the drawdown in the mid 90s had not included returning the Airfield side ops to the MoD and subsequent selling off to developers in this case Urban and Civic.

Cheers

User avatar
Ravendriver2008
Posts: 727
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:29 pm

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

Post by Ravendriver2008 » Mon Nov 26, 2018 11:24 pm

Merlin37 wrote:
Mon Nov 26, 2018 2:46 pm
romeo bravo wrote:
Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:48 am
Exactly AndrewN. A Security Team that can be moved to somewhere else; say Fairford?!?!

Airfield is gone.
The Airfield may be gone but Alconbury is there solely to support Molesworth, which i have been told by people there that its not going anywhere anytime soon, due to the nature of the work carried out there and the expense of moving it.
U turn on closure so it’s here to stay

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2018-11 ... hire-base/

Cheers

filmman
Posts: 300
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:59 pm

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

Post by filmman » Tue Nov 27, 2018 10:53 pm

Nothing stays static. Cold War over; The West cuts defence spending. Eventually nasty, normal reality dawns - continuing international power struggles, economic power shifts and resource acquisition. Now the USA is increasing defence spending but possibly finding it closed too many bases/airfields. Unfortunately once an airfield has gone it's gone. Mildenhall lost out to Fairford, though closure has been delayed to 2025. So if the USA wants more European bases it might keep Mildenhall open long enough to reasses how many bases, where and to build them. It might even decide to further reduce UK bases. Nothing is guaranteed in life except Mr Putin's latest escapade.
Filmman

User avatar
andrewn
Posts: 1119
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:47 pm
Location: Cheshire

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

Post by andrewn » Tue Jan 22, 2019 9:38 pm

Other than the RJ move to Fairford, is there any any other recent evidence of reloaction to Germany for either the 100ARW or 352SOW?

All seems to have gone very quiet :ninja:

User avatar
Gary
Administrator
Posts: 41809
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 4:51 pm
Location: South Lincolnshire

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

Post by Gary » Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:37 pm

There is a photo doing the round of facebook from Spang, showing signs up on a building on base saying future home of the 352nd SOW. If I can find it and get permission will post it
Posh are going to Wembley (albeit for a tin cup)

jiminnorfolk
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2019 9:29 am

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

Post by jiminnorfolk » Sun Feb 03, 2019 11:18 am

I see there is some speculation about Fairford covering, to some extent Mildenhall operations.
I saw on local TV news some weeks ago that Rivet Joint Ops were going to Fairford.
Apologies to anyone who has already mentioned this but as yet I have not had time to read all.
Also being a "Newby" I can hide behind some ignorance!

User avatar
Windy57
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:16 pm

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

Post by Windy57 » Thu Mar 07, 2019 8:30 am

Confirmed yesterday by my Commander that the earliest that USAFE will be leaving Mildenhall is 2027

User avatar
paddyboy
Posts: 23688
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:32 pm
Location: Somewhere in Norfolk

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

Post by paddyboy » Thu Mar 07, 2019 10:53 am

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
XH558, always the first lady in my life
Just remember, please don't tell the wife


Image
GRIM REAPERS SUPPORTER

tm74sqn
Posts: 1605
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 3:27 pm
Location: Oxfordshire

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

Post by tm74sqn » Thu Mar 07, 2019 12:29 pm

Bad news - just put down a £50K deposit on a 4-bedroom detached house which is to be built on the ATC tower foundations. Hopefully I'll get it back, but slightly worried, or maybe will have to wait a while.

Philwinward
Posts: 315
Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 12:05 pm

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

Post by Philwinward » Thu Mar 07, 2019 1:09 pm

Noticed the other day that the field across the road from the old Mildenhall viewing area has a new fence with MOD security notices on it. Not certain how long they have owned this field, but if they are moving out why bother with new fencing and signs ?
Phil

Locked

Return to “The Fighter Control Mess”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Cessna954, JB87, MRTT, NAW, Neil D, pako-2008, scramble1, Tangopapa, Windy57 and 94 guests