| RAF Fairford
|
|
|---|---|
| Part of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) | |
| Located near Fairford, Gloucestershire, England | |
 Boeing B-52H Stratofortress taxis along the flight line at RAF Fairford |
|
| Type | Air Force Base |
| Built | 1938 |
| In use | 1953-Present |
| Current owner |
Royal Air Force |
| Controlled by | United States Air Force |
| Garrison | 420th Air Base Group |
| Airfield Information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: FFD – ICAO: EGVA | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | United States Air Force | ||
| Location | Fairford | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 286 ft / 87 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 09/27 | 9,994 | 3,046 | Asphalt |
RAF Fairford (IATA: FFD, ICAO: EGVA) is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is currently classified as a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as a base for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in 1991. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia (code-named Operation Allied Force) was NATO 's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that
RAF Fairford is the only TransOceanic Abort Landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle in the UK. A Space Shuttle abort is an emergency procedure due to equipment failure on NASA 's Space Shuttle, most commonly during ascent The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program NASA 's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System ( STS) is the Spacecraft currently used by the United States The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located As well as having a sufficiently long runway for a shuttle landing (the runway is 3 km long), it also has NASA-trained fire and medical crews stationed on the base. [1]
RAF Fairford is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo, an annual air display. The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT is the world's largest military Air show, held annually over the third weekend in July usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire RIAT is one of the largest airshows in the world, with the 2003 show recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest military airshow ever, with an attendance of 535 aircraft. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U
Contents |
USAF Units
On 14 January 2004, the 420th Air Base Group (420 ABG) was established at RAF Fairford to improve the control of its geographically separated units, (GSUs), that had been aligned beneath the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall. RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force (RAF station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. These units are assigned to bases at RAF Fairford, RAF Croughton, RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth and RAF Menwith Hill. RAF Croughton is a United States Air Force communications base in Northamptonshire, England, to the southeast of the village of Croughton. RAF Alconbury is a Royal Air Force station adjacent to the Stukeleys near Alconbury and Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917 RAF Menwith Hill is a Royal Air Force station located approximately eight miles west of the Yorkshire town of Harrogate. The 420 ABG reported directly to 3rd Air Force until 26 May 2004, when the 38th Combat Support Wing (38 CSW) was established at Sembach Annex, Germany to provide oversight on its behalf.
On May 12, 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom. RAF Alconbury is a Royal Air Force station adjacent to the Stukeleys near Alconbury and Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom The Airmen of the 501st CSW focus on units that, by their nature, are separated from main operating bases of RAFs Mildenhall and Lakenheath. RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force airfield located near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England A command staff of about 30 people are assigned.
The 420th ABG and the 424th Air Base Squadron are presently responsible for the day to day operations of RAF Fairford, ensuring that it is provided with the resources it needs to meet command standards for mission execution.
History
RAF Fairford was constructed at the height of World War II in 1944 to serve as a base for British and American troop carriers and gliders for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy.
In the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command (SAC) would be based in the UK. Bases had already been established in East Anglia -- at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath -- but they were considered to be too vulnerable to bomber attack and airfields further behind the RAF fighter defences were sought. Four RAF airfields were selected to receive SAC units -- RAF Brize Norton, RAF Fairford, RAF Greenham Common and RAF Upper Heyford. In 1948 the Americans occupied RAF stations including Fairford, Brize Norton, Burtonwood Greenham Common, Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Woodbridge to build up a deterrent in Europe against the Soviets.
In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, the base was transferred to the U.S. Air Force for strategic bomber operations. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the In order to facilitate long range bomber operations a 10,000-foot (3,000 m) runway was constructed.
The runway was completed in 1953, and served as a forward airbase for the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas. The Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, commonly known as Convair, was a US aerospace development and manufacturing complex of the 1940s and later For uses after 30 September 1994, see Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth Carswell Air Force Base, (1942 - 1994 is Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The base later received B-47s which were maintained at a heightened state of alert because of increased tensions with the Soviet Union. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991
Following a period of transition, Fairford was chosen in 1969 as the British test center for the Concorde aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Concorde was tested at RAF Fairford until 1979, when the U. S. Air Force returned with a squadron of KC-135 Stratotankers. A squadron is a small unit or formation of Cavalry, armour, Aircraft (including Balloons) or Warships Army WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout These tankers would play a major role in supporting the attack on Libya in 1986. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab The KC-135s were withdrawn in 1990 and the base was returned to standby status.
Due to RAF Fairford's location and infrastructure, the airbase is designated as a forward operating location for the U. S. Air Force. In this capacity, it was used in the first Gulf War in 1991, with B-52's and KC-135's from Eaker AFB in Arkansas Operation Allied Force in 1999, and during the 2003 Iraq War. The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia (code-named Operation Allied Force) was NATO 's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign During these three conflicts, the airbase was the home to American B-52, B-1 Lancer, and KC-135 aircraft, and their support personnel. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In recent years the airfield has been used by American B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
Due to increased operational levels, RAF Fairford underwent a $90 million upgrade of its runway and fuel bunkers in the largest American military construction project within a NATO country since the end of the Cold War. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The North Atlantic Treaty Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the This worked lasted from 2000 through 2002.
RAF Fairford is used as one of many Transatlantic Abort Landing sites located in western Europe for the NASA Space Shuttle. NASA 's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System ( STS) is the Spacecraft currently used by the United States [1]
RAF Fairford Unit Emblems
 420th Air Base Group |
 424th Air Base Squadron |
 7020th Air Base Group |
 11th Strategic Group |
See also
- List of RAF stations
- United States Air Forces in Europe
- United States Air Force in the United Kingdom
- Strategic Air Command in the United Kingdom
References
- Fletcher, Harry R. This List of RAF stations is a comprehensive list of all stations, Airbases airfields and administrative Headquarters of the Royal Air Force The United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE) is the United States Air Force component of U Since 1941 the United States has maintained air bases in the United Kingdom. During the mid- to late 1940s the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE was occupied with supporting the movement of men and aircraft of the Strategic Air Command (SAC (1989) Air Force Bases Volume II, Active Air Force Bases outside the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799536
External links
- RAF Fairford at GlobalSecurity.org
- Unofficial RAF Fairford website
- Aerial photos (July 2007) revealing forward deployment upgrades to RAF Fairford for B-2 Stealth Bomber on Part 3 of UK Secret Bases
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