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

[vinnyboy]

That would be good but wont happen. Its got housing written all over it with maybe a few shops and a industrial estate. So sad.

[DaveChapman]

My thoughts:
Some extra personel needed for the new squadron ( resurrect 491st fighter bomber sqn) giving 4 squadrons
F-15C`s phased out from 2017, 493d become F35 in 2021
Extra personel for the Lockheed Martin hub that will be built at the heath to save sending all partner countries jets to the states when needing overhauls/upgrades
Way off the mark or somewhere near? I am nowhere near as knowledgable as most of you guys but would love to hear your thoughts
Cheers Dave

[POL]

I cant believe this is happening and mildenhall would have been the best to keep open.

Obviously, you have great knowledge and wisdom to come out with this. Are you prepared to tell us why, in your opinion, Mildenhall is the best to be kept open? Or is it just because you've bought a scanner?

No its not because of a scanner i brought although it will be quiet when The Hall goes. The Hall is a bigger base it has a longer runway and can cater for all aircraft. LN is not a patch on the hall. The government are looking for more housing xo mildenhall is ideal for another housing estate. It would be a good airport but that wont happen. As for LN creating jobs where do they get that rubbish from. There will be less aircraft for a start so all lies. Very disappointing for all involved and the local area. Sad Times.

Sir, you are talking nonsense.

Mildenhall was 9220ft before the latest extension, Lakenheath is 9000ft. However, Lakenheath has room for three or four transport aircraft and a multitude of fast jets of various sizes and can operate both aircraft without the need for derigging the cables, whereas Mildenhall cannot. Furthermore, Lakenheath has the largest military hospital in Europe and various other top-class facilities.

[Jammo]

Could become a Spaceport, the Govenment were looking for a site a while ago
Would be nice to see rocket launches down the road

[airfixpilot]

Just read the artical. Lakenheath is ok, but what about Mildenhall, as a Hub for aircraft rotation to Europe. Apart from Fairford and Lakenheath, what other operational bases do the USAFE have in the UK?

[airfixpilot]

Could become a Spaceport, the Govenment were looking for a site a while ago
Would be nice to see rocket launches down the road

Yeah lets give it to Richard Branson as a space port, for the Virgin spacecraft

[bizfreeq]

No mention of Feltwell, Fairford or Menwith Hill so I guess they are all staying.
With hindsight I suppose the inactivation of 3rd Air Force at Mildenhall in the early noughties and subsequent reactivation at Ramstein was 'writing on the wall'.

Fairford is NATO funded as far as I am aware so wouldn't necessarily figure in the cuts.

[Lossie]

Wouldn't hold out a great deal of hope of much weekend transient traffic at LN once Mildenhall closes. Unless it's directly related to an LN deployment or mission why open up a whole base when there is Ramstein, Spangdahlem, Brize, Prestwick and Shannon all open 24/7 (the US mil use the last two a lot at present as most people know).

[peasus911]

Hi, Sorry if I'm going over old ground but the press statement says the following;

Mildenhall’s Boeing KC-135s and the 352nd Special Operations Group – including a fleet of Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey tiltrotors – are expected to move to Germany, while its Boeing RC-135s will be relocated elsewhere in the UK. Italy is expected to house the 606th Air Control Squadron as it relocates from Spangdahlem, Germany, while the US presence at Lajes Field in Portugal will decline in size.

Would this poss be RAF Fairford for the RC-135's as its recently had new runway etc.
Sorry again if already covered.

[TankBuster]

My thoughts:
Some extra personel needed for the new squadron ( resurrect 491st fighter bomber sqn) giving 4 squadrons
F-15C`s phased out from 2017, 493d become F35 in 2021
Extra personel for the Lockheed Martin hub that will be built at the heath to save sending all partner countries jets to the states when needing overhauls/upgrades
Way off the mark or somewhere near? I am nowhere near as knowledgable as most of you guys but would love to hear your thoughts
Cheers Dave

With the F-35's at both LN and Marham, it would certainly make good sense to have a heavy maintenance hub at one of the bases.

TankBuster

[TeeJay]

Hi All

With all the "what ifs, maybes and speculation" on here, fact remians is it isn't a surprise this is going to happen, budgets are being cut all the time

A lot of enthusiasts, including myself, will really miss this place, have met some really nice people there over the years, but, the most important factor here is the effect on the local economy, (Mildenhall town in particular) and the job losses, house prices (as a lot will become vacant at once) and so on that goes with closure of a base like this!

We can speculate as much as we like as to what 'they should have done' and 'what is going where' etc, but it won't do any good, so lets enjoy it while we can and capture lots of images and movies.

Just to add one quote from 'Stars and Stripes' which refers to a question asked earlier in this thread, re F15 departure dates....
"As Lakenheath prepares to host F-35s beginning in 2020, the current plan is to keep the F-15s at the base through the summer of 2016, Andrews said. Plans for the interim are still being considered."
So does that leave LN without aircraft for 2 years?

Tankbuster, can see no mention of 56th RS so I assume they stay as they are....? And I thought Marham was to be F35 maintenance hub for Europe? (this is why marham got the F35 not Lossie, as it was to be near to LN that was to be future F35 equipped?)

A very sad news day

Trev

[Jammo]

So does that leave LN without aircraft for 2 years?
Trev

Raptors ???

[TeeJay]

well what else have they got Jammo?

[Jammo]

Exactly mate

[Topol-M]

Sir, you are talking nonsense.

Mildenhall was 9220ft before the latest extension, Lakenheath is 9000ft. However, Lakenheath has room for three or four transport aircraft and a multitude of fast jets of various sizes and can operate both aircraft without the need for derigging the cables, whereas Mildenhall cannot. Furthermore, Lakenheath has the largest military hospital in Europe and various other top-class facilities.

I agree Chris, and LN has plenty of Hardened Shelters which are (will be) required for the dainty F-35's (all the rain etc). If Mildenhall stayed open and LN was to shut, all the money saved would be spent in seconds to build the required HAS's - with probably more money being required in fact. Well, there would be more money needed - weapons storage facilities

Off the top of my head I think LN is also a larger base in hectares than Mildenahall as well

[Proteus]

Sad news, A drawback of LN is its still owned by Lord Iveagh.......Regards N.

[HP88]

Very Sad.

It feels like knowing you are going to lose an old friend.

[Viper28]

Lakenheath use to house 4 squadrons certainly in the F4 days. I agree with DaveC, I think the F15C's of the 493rd's days are numbered. There policing role can be taken over by a air-2-air equipped F35A. There is no real reason to resite the F15E's back stateside unless they go back to an existing F15E base, else you have all the associated costs of the support infrastructure especially the simulators.

[lhrlima]

Very sad news, although I guess not completely unexpected in todays climate. Don't visit as much as I used to, but will certainly make sure I get the most out of what time the base has left. More importantly, my thoughts go out to those who work on the base and to the local economy, which is bound to suffer as a result!

[markranger]

Lakenheath use to house 4 squadrons certainly in the F4 days. I agree with DaveC, I think the F15C's of the 493rd's days are numbered. There policing role can be taken over by a air-2-air equipped F35A. There is no real reason to resite the F15E's back stateside unless they go back to an existing F15E base, else you have all the associated costs of the support infrastructure especially the simulators.

Plus LNs F15Es are the PW-229 engines where as most of the rest are PW-220 so it's note like a common fleet.
I would love to see a mixed fleet at LN.