RAF Fairford to "Care and Maintenance"

Steyr

US Air Force to pull out of base

The base was home to US B-52 bombers during the Iraq war
The United States Air Force has announced plans to withdraw from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire with the loss of about 100 civilian jobs.

The plan is to pull out all uniformed staff from the base by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.

At present there are 220 authorised UK civilian posts at the base.

RAF Fairford will remain a designated standby base, capable of immediate reactivation within 24-48 hours.

The airbase became the focus of a number of large anti-war protests in the run-up to the conflict in the Gulf.

Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Armed Forces, said in a letter to the Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: "Work is ongoing with the US to identify the exact nature of these posts and some of them are likely to be vacant already.

"However, the MoD will of course provide full support to the personnel affected by these plans in identifying and securing, where possible, alternative employment opportunities within the Civil Service."

In a statement the MoD said: "RAF Fairford will retain its status as both a NATO designated standby base and USAF Forward Operating Location, capable of immediate reactivation should the operational situation demand (within 24-48 hours).

"The base will also continue to support the Royal International Air Tattoo and RAF exercises."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/gloucestershire/8257452.stm

At least RIAT wont be affected!:D

Davidth88

It's amazing when you think about it .

When I was spotting in the 80's the UK was almost a US aircarft carrier.

RAF Alconbury ( F5 and SR1 )
Mildenhall ( MAC / SAC ) and KC135+ variants of course ( and 'secretly' the SR71)
Upper Heyford ( F111 ) ..... involved with bombing Libya
Lakenheath ( F111 as well )
Bentwaters/Woodbridge ( A10 )
Fairford was used occasionally by KC135 , and when the US President visited you ended up with an E4 plus KC10 in there
Greenham Common ( never bothered visiting because cruise missiles didn't count as aircraft , plus you couldn't see anything anyway )

A typical Sunday was spent at Mildenhall and Lakenheath. Many a lunch had in the burger bar on the base in Mildennhall ( now closed I believe )

They are just the ones I can think of , there were countless smaller airfields where there were no aircraft but the USAF had a presence ( for example Chicksands in Bedfordshire )

Dacian

Davidth88 wrote: »

It's amazing when you think about it .

When I was spotting in the 80's the UK was almost a US aircarft carrier

The US is obviously reassessing its commitments across the globe. The US army is becoming a more Brigade sized expeditionary force and the USAF/USN have strike capability across the world. Thus the need for assets stationed in readiness is lessened. This will lower the upkeep costs in the US defense spending. While good news for the US accountants bad new for spotters.

Do the US and UK still have troops stationed in Germany?

Davidth88

Do the US and UK still have troops stationed in Germany?

Not really up to speed , I don't think the RAF have anything there now , but the British Army has for sure
US , not sure. But I remember Hahn ( now described as Frankfurt by Ryanair even though it's 70 km at least from there ) /Spagdahlem/Bitberg and a few others which I think are all gone . They are still very much present in Frankfurt Main ( the main airport at Frankfurt )

Others may know better

Steyr

Davidth88 wrote: »

/Spagdahlem/Bitberg and a few others which I think are all gone .

USAFE ( United States Air Forces Europe ) are still based at Spangdahlem with F-16's and A-10's and in Ramstein in Germany.

3rd Air Force, Ramstein AB, Germany
17th Air Force, Ramstein AB, Germany

The 52nd Fighter Wing -- Spangdahlem Air Base's host wing -- maintains, deploys and employs F-16CJ and A/OA-10 aircraft and TPS-75 radar systems in support of NATO and the national defense directives. The wing supports the Supreme Allied Commander Europe with mission-ready personnel and systems providing expeditionary air power. The wing also supports contingencies and operations other than war.

Ramstein serves as headquarters for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation installation.

The host unit is the 86th Airlift Wing, whose commander also serves as the Kaiserslautern Military Community commander.

Also residing at Ramstein is 3rd Air Force, 17th Air Force, the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing and the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing.


31st Fighter Wing - Aviano Air Base, Italy
39th Air Base Wing - Incirlik AB, Turkey
48th Fighter Wing - RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
52nd Fighter Wing - Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
65th Air Base Wing - Lajes Field, Azores
86th Airlift Wing - Ramstein Air Base, Germany
100th Air Refueling Wing - RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
435th Air Ground Operations Wing - Ramstein Air Base, Germany
501st Combat Support Wing - RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom
SAC-HAW - Papa Air Base, Hungary
603d Air and Space Operations Center
603d Support Group
401st Air Expeditionary Group - Ramstein Air Base, Germany
4th Air Support Operations Group

Davidth88

Ramstein had F4's when I was spotting .
Spangdahlem had F4's and then F16's ( if I remember ) .

I remember SP was/is on the top of a hill , totally impossible to spot at . The base commander at the time ( late 80's ) hated spotters , you would always get hassle if you were seen.

Bitburg was totally different in a valley . You could sit and watch the f15s all day no hassle. And it was the home of a great beer as well !

ohhhhh the memories

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Steyr you forgot their other European base, Shannon!

diverdriver

View Profile wrote: »

Steyr you forgot their other European base, Shannon!

Very good! Ironic really, the people who whinge about Shannon really have no idea what a proper US base is like or the kind of traffic generated by a genuine transit point like for example Frankfurt.

Sometimes Shannon is so quiet, you would think it was an abandoned airfield. I was there on one occasion. There was one Ryanair, a parked Piper and me.