Hardened aircraft shelters may form part of future infrastructure considerations at RAF Akrotiri, with options to improve aircraft survivability and operational resilience still being explored and assessed, according to an answer given in Parliament.
Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative member for Huntingdon, asked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he had made of the requirement for hardened aircraft shelters at RAF Akrotiri.
Louise Sandher-Jones, the Minister for the Armed Forces, said: “We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of security to safeguard our national defence capabilities. Whilst hardened aircraft shelters may form part of future infrastructure considerations, options to improve aircraft survivability and operational resilience are still being explored and assessed against factors including the threat, operating concept, deliverability, timescales and cost.”
RAF Akrotiri lies within the Western Sovereign Base Area on the south coast of Cyprus, around a hundred and fifty miles from Syria and Lebanon.
How much exploration does it take to build concrete hangers? It’s a known technology. Must be thinking of ways to make industry the most money and long term servicing contracts.
I suspect around 10 years and £250m of failed projects.
Considering proximity to multiple countries we have been at war with in recent years, it’s insane these are not already in place.
Are the government starting to get a little 80s mentality ? If so fine with the way of the world is, it’s a pity we just don’t have the numbers like back in the day . 😟
Just build the bloody things…
They should have been built there decades ago.
And expand and refurb as many as accessable in the UK as well.
It seems back in 2010, it was on the cards to withdraw from RAF Akrotiri.
Wow, not heard that before. Batshit crazy given the utility it and the other sites in Cyprus give us.
It was suggested during the 2010 review, apparently ( or at least withdraw ground forces)
Well there are little in the way of ground forces at Akrotiri beyond the joint service support units.
Ground forces, so the Infantry Battalions, would be the least sensitive option, given the importance of Akrotiri and the Intelligence sites.
Though one of those Battalions provides the in theatre reserve, not a capability to be chucked away, so relieved they didn’t go through with it.
And the SBAs are important enough to warrant a garrison, so I assume common military sense put some bean counter or politician back in their box.
May, exploring, aspire, up to – all the same for we don’t want to say no now because then we would have to explain why and look stupid, but the answer is no unless something really dramatic happens at the Treasury.
Joking and cynicism aside, looking at the picture above, and I am assuming it is Akrotiri, but it looks like we keep our 100m pound planes in a big tent? If so, it would only take a few Shaheds to put hundreds of millions of pounds of expensive hardware out of action; if not destroyed!
Yes they are kept in big tents, that’s why the government is considering hardened shelters.
Indeed. Next on the list is a stable door. The great thing about hardened shelters is you always know where the aeroplanes will be. In Ukraine, drones just fly into these shelters or they hang around outside. Just sat on the ground, waiting to blow up some passer by or anything really.
Though our Cold War era HAS have blast doors and I believe had CBR sealing.
A Drone won’t be able to enter so easily.
Our problem is that most are at locations no longer used for fast jets, or even the RAF.
Seems like money in the wrong place.
The political fallout in Cyprus didn’t come worry about the potential loss of a Typhoon, it came from worry about Cyprus becoming caught in the middle of a war because of those Typhoons.
Another argument in favour of increased GBAD.