A £53 million refurbishment of the airfield at RAF Waddington has begun, covering aircraft bays, taxiways, drainage and approach lighting at the Lincolnshire station that hosts the Royal Air Force’s intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance force and the Red Arrows, according to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
The organisation is delivering the project on behalf of Air Infrastructure for the RAF, and Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure Ltd is carrying out the works, with Ramboll UK providing technical services.
Several aircraft bays and taxiways are being refurbished, new drainage systems installed and approach lighting upgraded, work intended to improve the resilience of the airfield infrastructure for years to come. Extensive planning was carried out with RAF units and station staff so that flying operations can continue throughout.
Air Commodore Phil Reid, head of Air Infrastructure, said: “Our commitment to investing in the RAF’s operational capability is clearly demonstrated in this project. One of a programme of airfield infrastructure projects underway, I’m pleased to see the continued collaboration through DIO’s Programmatic Approach with Lagan Aviation and Ramboll UK.
“The size and scale of projects such as at RAF Waddington present many challenges, in both their planning and delivery. Air Infrastructure will continue to work closely with colleagues in DIO, at stations and with our industry partners to ensure the RAF remains ready to fly and fight by ensuring our airbases are able to operate at maximum efficiency.”
Pete Shaw, project manager at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said: “I am pleased to see work commencing on this vital refurbishment project at RAF Waddington. This work will enhance the resilience and reliability of the airfield, ensuring Service personnel have the facilities they need to train and operate effectively, helping Defence remain ready to respond.”
Robert Weston, project director at Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be starting works on the refurbishment of the airfield at RAF Waddington on behalf of DIO. Over the course of the project, we will continue to work with our stakeholders, utilising our expertise and experience gained through past successful projects. We have planned the works collaboratively with the Station to ensure operations are not impacted during the construction works.”
Waddington serves as the hub of British ISTAR, which supplies British and NATO commanders with the information their decisions rest on, and it is also home to the RAF Aerobatic Team.
Completion is expected in summer 2028, and the work forms part of a wider programme of airfield infrastructure projects across the estate, among them the recently finished resurfacing of the runway intersection at RAF Marham, which came in three weeks ahead of an eight-week schedule.
Usually followed by a base closure – see Leuchars!
Exactly.
Is it time to consider our current airbases as an outdated concept? They are highly recognisable from the air and easy drone targets, as seen in the Ukraine-Russia war. F-35s could and should operate out of several UK airfields due to their vertical takeoff and landing credentials. Servicing should be centralised but a daily widespread disposition across the country would ensure greater protection from drone attack for the whole fleet, carrier-borne or otherwise. I’m sure there is a war plan to disperse most fighter squadrons if and when appropriate but in many ways RAF Fairford demonstrates that dispersal should be seriously considered now?
Sadly also have question giving free pass to questionable American air operations from uk.
Interesting that even an RAF Air Commodore calls them “airbases” rather than RAF Stations as they used to be.
When did that change, same time as airmen and airwomen were rebranded “aviators” in another Americanism.
Why not go the whole hog and officially name all RAF Stations RAFB like the USAF Base equivalents?
Sad to see.
It is good at least that some renovation work is going on at Marham and Waddington, but this is really just scratching the surface of the airbase problem.
We have too many aircraft.crammed into too few bases, which makes them attractive targets in wartime..With the closure of RAF Lyneham, our entire air transport fleet is rammed in Brize. Our entire Typhoon force is concentrated in just two bases. This is the result of MOD economies over the years.
The HAS were designed for an era where the biggest threat was likely to be a 1,000lb bomb. Against today’s missile threats, a far more robust structure is needed to counter bunker-buster-type strikes.
Airfield defence is currently slender at best. Perimeter fencing is too often inadequate. Perimeter and base defence patrols are inadequate, because there aren’t the service numbers to carry them out. Counter-UAV air defence systems are just beginning to enter service, as yet without kinetic effectors. There is no local area base air defence in the form of Sky Sabre.
And so on.
The thinking up to now seems to have been that we won’t suffer air attacks on the homeland, because any missiles or attacking aircraft would be downed by NATO SAM bases in Europe. That has never been particularly convincing, as anywhere north of the Wash has only limited Norwegian and Danish air defences between the UK and incoming from Northern Russia and the High north
All this to say that we need a heap of work on UK bases, army and RN as well as RAF. It would need a lot more investment than is currently available. The perimeter fence and road at Molesworth cost £25m then, or £44m at today’s prices. Brize has a 6 mile perimeter, with all the physical and patrol costs involved.
The sooner we get this additional 1.5% of GDP for infrastructure defined, funded and set in pillars of stone, the better. This is something that Owhatsit Jercy could usefully table a parliamentary question on, as there has been complete silence from the MOD and ministers on this element of the defence plan.
…what he said….security, HAS…hardened buildings for staff and so on.
Surely just parking the aircraft we have in “old pattern” HAS is better than nowt?
AA