Red Arrows base to be axed

[Adam]

RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire is to be closed and sold by 2020 in a desperate attempt to try and make up the UK Ministry of Defence's £20bn spending "black hole". It is one of 91 MoD sites (30% of their property) that will be axed in an announcement later today, according to The Times this morning.

The Red Arrows and 1 Air Control Centre are among the units currently stationed there, with a total of 600 personel. Scampton is also one of the most historically significent air bases in the country and was used during the Dambusters raid by 617 Squadron. A new Red Arrows base will be selected shortly.

Last year, Scampton held an airshow intended to replace the now-defunct RAF Waddington Airshow a few miles down the road, run by the same company who stage RIAT. It had been hoped this would become an annual event and be Lincolnshire's long-lost international show, but unfortunately it didn't work and was postponed indefinately after the first event. With the closure of Scampton and the increasing operational tempo of nearby Waddington and Coningsby, I would be surprised if the prospect of a major international airshow in the region is ever mentioned again. A sad loss after a fine pedigree.

RAF Linton-on-Ouse, home to 72 Squadron, 1 Flight Training School, 9 Air Experience Flight, Yorkshire UAS and 642 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, is also due for closure by 2020, with most activities moved to RAF Valley on Anglesey in Wales. RAF Barnham, RAF Halton, RAF Henlow and others will also face closure. The UK MoD currently has a total of 38 active airfields (by my count), of which the majority are unmannded airstrips, test ranges, relief landing grounds or used only by University Air Squadrons, flying clubs, volunteer gliding squadrons etc. Only six of our airfields are considered Main Operational Bases (ie. those with active front-line squadrons).

The UK MoD is currently facing a massive budget crisis, with a funding shortfall that is half of its total annual budget. Last year, the MoD spent £35.3bn ($46bn). To put that in perspective, the US spent more than $600bn.

Further airfields will surely follow in the path of Linton-on-Ouse and Scampton and will doubtless be sold to property developers who will insist on not solving our interminable housing crisis by fillimg them luxury deluxe exclusive superior "affordable homes" that only Bill Gates can actually afford and only retired people will want to live in. Rant over.