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

[Spitfire88]

Where's the info from Tony?

[TonyO]

Senior 100th ARW official.

[von_trippenhopf]

Been told today that the 95th's UK Operating Location will be Lakenheath.

Yup.

[LardThief]

Only 2 squadrons? They will need more than that to maintain OpReadiness with the current failure rate.

[Agent K]

Only 2 squadrons? They will need more than that to maintain OpReadiness with the current failure rate.

The key word being "current" and these will be there in the future. As with any programme and it reaching a state of maturity and stability you'd expect the rate to improve.

[sgtangel]

Been told today that the 95th's UK Operating Location will be Lakenheath.

Yup. Contrary to popular belief they're not going to Fairford.

Poo!

[Spitfire88]

It does seem a little strange that first off the usaf would make this public knowledge and secondly why would they build new facilities at Lakenheath when Fairford is already set up for 135 ops and already has all the facilities ready and waiting, when their trying to save money this makes absolutely no sense at all.

[mushbuster]

................ Fairford is already set up for 135 ops and already has all the facilities ready and waiting...........

Spitfire, is it really, and what facilities are already at Fairford ready and waiting for 135 ops?

[reaperops]

I'm not totally familiar with the West Country Airfield in question, but does it have the facilities to support Personnel and families such as shops, schools, medical facilities etc.

It might not just be about airframes. An Air Force has to support so much more than the jets. A point quite often overlooked by the Enthusiast.

[Spitfire88]

................ Fairford is already set up for 135 ops and already has all the facilities ready and waiting...........

Spitfire, is it really, and what facilities are already at Fairford ready and waiting for 135 ops?

Where do you think the kc135s were based before the hall? Fairford, need I say more, the base has not changed other than to add the b2 hangars

[Spitfire88]

I'm not totally familiar with the West Country Airfield in question, but does it have the facilities to support Personnel and families such as shops, schools, medical facilities etc.

It might not just be about airframes. An Air Force has to support so much more than the jets. A point quite often overlooked by the Enthusiast.

Yes all of thoese are at Fairford obviously not manned tho

[von_trippenhopf]

................ Fairford is already set up for 135 ops and already has all the facilities ready and waiting...........

Spitfire, is it really, and what facilities are already at Fairford ready and waiting for 135 ops?

Where do you think the kc135s were based before the hall? Fairford, need I say more, the base has not changed other than to add the b2 hangars

That was 25 years ago, things have changed a lot since the tankers left.

[bizfreeq]

Where do you think the kc135s were based before the hall?

KC135s based at Mildenhall from summer of 78
KC135s based at Fairford from spring of 79

[plmc135]

Think you will find C-135's at Mildenhall go back a lot further than 1978. I saw the EC-135H's, which were then based, on my first visit to the Hall back in September 1969.

I suspect that the support you need for a basic KC-135 is considerably less than for a sophisticated RC-135 which I don't think have ever operated out of Fairford.

[bizfreeq]

I agree but the statement was KC135s not C135s

[mushbuster]

................ Fairford is already set up for 135 ops and already has all the facilities ready and waiting...........

Spitfire, is it really, and what facilities are already at Fairford ready and waiting for 135 ops?

Where do you think the kc135s were based before the hall? Fairford, need I say more, the base has not changed other than to add the b2 hangars

Sorry Spitfire I live very close to the airfield and remember not only the last KC135 departure from the base in 1990 but also the first landings of the RAF C130, the basing of the red arrows and the arrival of Concorde 002. You do indeed need to say more. Have you been on base since the 11SG was stood down in 1990? Most of the support facilities including the school, the BX, the class 6, the 11SG HQ, the Comms Sq HQ, the main aircraft maintenance facility, the clinic to mention just a few, have been demolished and no longer exist. I doubt very much it is "set up for 135 ops" any more, nor does it have ".. all the facilities ready and waiting for 135 ops" as you suggest. As for the base not changing, that is plainly wrong. Aside from the extensive demolition, most of the airfield was rebuilt in 2000-02 for deployed bomber missions, then a large parking apron was built in front of the newly built B2 hangar, 4 very large fuel sites were built around the perimeter with the most recent close to Whelford around 2005, a new building was built by the tower, a new perimeter road and all sorts of other things have been done including most recently the green fences. I have put up with the noise, dust and traffic that all this work has generated for the last 26 years.
Any permanent basing of aircraft at Fairford would require a substantial amount of investment to support the families of assigned personnel

[graham luxton]

To be historically accurate, KC-135A's were based at Fairford starting in Sept'79.

At Mildenhall the EC-135's moved in during Nov'65. The KC-135A's arrived in Nov'70, supporting RC-135C/D's which transferred from Lakenheath with the tankers the same month. That situation continued until 1976 when SAC pulled its tankers out of Torrejon and moved the operation to Mildenhall, resulting in large numbers being based on Temporary Duty Sept'76 onwards.

[plmc135]

I agree but the statement was KC135s not C135s

In that case I started to log KC-135's at Mildenhall on a regular basis on detachment on 21 November 1970.

Before that there was a detachment at Upper Heyford and no doubt before that at several of the former SAC bases in the UK supporting the deployed bombers (sadly just before my time particularly as I was at school barely 5 miles from Greenham Common).

[graham luxton]

I agree but the statement was KC135s not C135s

In that case I started to log KC-135's at Mildenhall on a regular basis on detachment on 21 November 1970.

Before that there was a detachment at Upper Heyford and no doubt before that at several of the former SAC bases in the UK supporting the deployed bombers (sadly just before my time particularly as I was at school barely 5 miles from Greenham Common).

Small world, Greenham Common was my `local` in the B-47 days. The detachment at Upper Heyford was previously located at Brize Norton supporting E/RB-47H operations. It was moved to 'Heyford in Jan'65 with the ELINT a/c a few months prior to SAC moving out of Brize. In those days these were the only KC-135's based in the UK, albeit on Temporary Duty. Although there were numerous KC-135 transport flights in/out of the English B-47 bases there was no requirement for them to be based here - unfortunately!

[Agent K]

................ Fairford is already set up for 135 ops and already has all the facilities ready and waiting...........

Spitfire, is it really, and what facilities are already at Fairford ready and waiting for 135 ops?

Where do you think the kc135s were based before the hall? Fairford, need I say more, the base has not changed other than to add the b2 hangars

HangArs surely?