RAF MILDENHALL

[Weazel69]

Just heard on the BBC - Look East News
RAF MILDENHALL is to get a load of rework done, owing to its strategic placement for both th UK & EUROPE

There is life in the Old Base after all

[XWP29]

Just heard on the BBC - Look East News
RAF MILDENHALL is to get a load of rework done, owing to its strategic placement for both th UK & EUROPE

There is life in the Old Base after all

Announced in June?
https://www.mildenhall.af.mil/News/Pres ... contracts/

[EAGLE]

Just heard on the BBC - Look East News
RAF MILDENHALL is to get a load of rework done, owing to its strategic placement for both th UK & EUROPE

There is life in the Old Base after all

Announced in June?
https://www.mildenhall.af.mil/News/Pres ... contracts/

Having listened to the part that was broadcast, it does sound to me like something different to the above link. That sounds just like a generic release to say "we've got some UK based facility maintainence teams now so can get repairs done quicker"

BBC Look East said

"Plans for upgrading a US Air base in Suffolk have been revealed. RAF Mildenhall was due to close back in 2015. There will now be new investment at the site which is seen as an important part of American and European defence."

[POL]

There's no new stories on DVIDS about Mildenhall...

[Vulture 01]

Just remember that, the RAF at least, has a long history of spending money on bases then closing them down.

[Tiger 1]

RAF Bawtry and RAF Finningley... in both cases vasts amount of money spent updating with new buildings and repairs undertaken to then be closed.

T1

[Unknown74]

Is that not the normal MoD/ RAF proceedure, refurbish Airfield, relay Runway etc, then close the place!

[Professor_M]

Is that not the normal MoD/ RAF proceedure, refurbish Airfield, relay Runway etc, then close the place!

Waddington and Lossiemouth are yet to close - perhaps it's not always the case.

[Supra]

True enough for Waddo' & Lossie', but USAFE RAF Alconbury was a classic case of massive spending on the Airside & Domestic Sites. Multiple new hardstands, increased aprons, etc. New PX (Base Exchange?), New Gym, etc.... Entire Base closure before the contracts were signed-of!

[James Cutting]

Just remember that, the RAF at least, has a long history of spending money on bases then closing them down.

But surely it won't be the RAF funding it, they lease it to the USAF so surely it'll be funded by the Americans.

We can't always have a Debbie Downer when there's some good news!

[skidrow]

These are just maintenance contracts not new construction or redevelopment and has been standard practice for many years at both bases.

[Philwinward]

I believe that when the USAF left Bentwaters just after the runway had been resurfaced/repaired they said that NATO paid for the work !

[skidrow]

NATO funding is all subject to the base mission. Lakenheath gets a lot of NATO funding whereas Mildenhall gets less as it supports other operations as well.

[XWP29]

Just remember that, the RAF at least, has a long history of spending money on bases then closing them down.

But surely it won't be the RAF funding it, they lease it to the USAF so surely it'll be funded by the Americans.

We can't always have a Debbie Downer when there's some good news!

Who’s DD James

[Nighthawke]

A ficticious character. Usually applied to someone who puts a "downer" on good news story. This might explain further (other links available I'm sure):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Downer

[reaperops]

Bit of a non-story really. Following the reversal of the 2015 closure, certain aspects of the infrastructure are in need of TLC. There was a media muster which described maintenance contracts have been awarded to local and national contractors to bring RAFM up to a reasonable operational standard.

[Weazel69]

Bit of a non-story really. Following the reversal of the 2015 closure, certain aspects of the infrastructure are in need of TLC. There was a media muster which described maintenance contracts have been awarded to local and national contractors to bring RAFM up to a reasonable operational standard.

YOU are Right!! - I don't know why I Bothered

[Supra]

Just remember that, the RAF at least, has a long history of spending money on bases then closing them down.

But surely it won't be the RAF funding it, they lease it to the USAF so surely it'll be funded by the Americans.

We can't always have a Debbie Downer when there's some good news!

Can't pretend to understand the finer issues of the UK. financing improvement works on USAF tenanted Bases within England. Recently came across this extract posted in this Forum regarding RAF Fairford....

Major upgrades to RAF Fairford's airfield runway and other facilities, totalling more than £24m, have been completed. The Gloucestershire airbase got the makeover as part of an initiative to improve the base's support capabilities for the US Air Force (USAF) and will see further upgrades as part of a national programme.
The funding for this upgrade to less than one mile of runway comes from the Ministry of Defence's £117m United States Visiting Forces (USVF) infrastructure project, which aims to improve operations capabilities at UK airbases used by the USAF - who have had military bases in the UK since World War Two and the birth of the US-UK special relationship.

Whilst you're correct in saying the RAF surely won't fund Mildenhall's construction works, it would appear the MOD. could well pay for it? That said, the complete scabby Local Rag article extracted above also refers to 'Runway' extensions that are currently non existent!