RAF Waddington

United Kingdom / England / Waddington /
 military airbase, military, NATO, RAF - Royal Air Force
RAF Waddington is the UK hub of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, supporting national and NATO operations. It uses a triad of airborne intelligence systems to achieve its mission. These are the E-3D Sentry, Nimrod R1 and Sentinel R1.

The area of expertise is known collectively as ISTAR. The role of ISTAR is to provide an electronic 'eye in the sky' to gather information. Information gathered from aircraft sensors is then processed into useful knowledge and transmitted to those who need it in a timely fashion.

Order of Battle :

34 Expeditionary Air Wing

Combat Support 2 Group

No. 5 (Army Co-operation) Sqn - ASTOR/Sentinel R1
www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/aboutus/5acsquadron.cfm

No. 8 Sqn - E-3 Sentry - the RAF's fleet of 7 Boeing E-3D aircraft, named the Sentry Airborne Early Warning Mk1.The E-3Ds form the UK's contribution to the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force and fly alongside the multi-national E-3A Component based at Geilenkirchen in Germany.
www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/aboutus/8squadron.cfm

No. 39 Sqn - UAV/MQ-9 Reaper Due to relocate at Waddington in 2011-12. It is presently at Creech AFB in Nevada.
www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/aboutus/39squadron.cfm

No. 51 Sqn - operated the Nimrod R1 until June 2011. Crews are currently training on the RC135 Rivet Joint in the USA, whilst awaiting delivery of Air Seeker.
www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/aboutus/51squadron.cfm

No. 14 Sqn - Shadow R1
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._14_Squadron_RAF

No. 54 (Reserve) Sqn - Intelligence Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Operational Conversion Unit
www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/aboutus/54rsquadron.cfm

No. 56 (Reserve) Sqn - Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Operational Evaluation Unit (ISTAR OEU)
www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/aboutus/56rsquadron.cfm

No. 92 Squadron RAF - Tactics and Training Wing in the Air Warfare Centre.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._92_Squadron_RAF

Other Major Tenant Units :

E-3D Software Support Team (SST)
Following the disbandment of Mission Support Wing (MSW) at RAF Waddington on the formation of 54(R) Sqn on 5 Sep 05, the last remaining Section of MSW, the E-3D Software Support Team (SST) transferred from HQ STC under the command and functional control of the Sentry Integrated Project Team, DLO on 1 Sep 06.

Air Warfare Centre
No 7006 (VR) Squadron RAuxAF
No 7010 (VR) Squadron RAuxAF
No 7630 (VR) Squadron RAuxAF

Following the experience gained during the Gulf War, the RAF recognised the need to establish a centralised mission support organisation. The Air Warfare Centre was established in October 1993 to meet this need by merging several specialist organisations and was given the task of providing integrated mission support at the operational, tactical and technical levels to commanders and to the front-line.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Warfare_Centre

Electronic Warfare and Avionics Detachment (EWAD)

The Electronic Warfare and Avionics Detachment is located in 4 Hangar. It is part of the Nimrod (ES) Air Integrated Project Team which is based at RAF Wyton, but the Unit is parented by RAF Waddington.

Air Battlespace Training Centre (ABTC)

The ABTC is an HQ Air Command lodger unit housed in 1 hangar at RAF Waddington. The project was to de-risk the use of synthetic training environments to deliver operational team and collective training for the air component of the Joint Battlespace.

Other auxiliary units

No. 2503 Sqn - RAuxAF Regiment Force Sustainment
Sentry Maintenance Squadron (SMS)
- including the Visiting Aircraft Handling Section (VAHS)
The Red Arrows

Rwy 03/21 Dim 2743 x 61m (arrester gear 610m from each end of runway).

www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/
www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/aboutus/otherunits.cfm
www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/spotting/waddington.ph...
www.milairpix.com/downloads/waddington.pdf
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Waddington
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   53°9'58"N   -0°31'19"E

Comments

  • R.A.F. Waddington is now home to the counties International Airshow
  • base for the Vulcan raids during the run up to the Falklands War.
This article was last modified 12 years ago