RAF Molesworth
United Kingdom /
England /
Oundle /
World
/ United Kingdom
/ England
/ Oundle
World / United Kingdom / England
Second World War 1939-1945, military, RAF - Royal Air Force, United States Air Force
RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s.
It is now a non-flying facility under the control of the United States Air Force, and is one of three RAF bases in Cambridgeshire currently used by the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). Molesworth, along with RAF Alconbury and RAF Upwood are considered the "Tri-Base Area" due to their close geographic proximity and interdependency.
Order of Battle:
JIOCEUR Joint Analysis Center (JAC),
www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/eucom/jac/
Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO),
US National Imaging and Mapping Agency (NIMA),
NATO's Intelligence Fusion Center (IFC)
web.ifc.bices.org/index.htm
Africa Command (AFRICOM)
RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth are the last World War II-era Eighth Air Force bases in England that are still actively in use and controlled by the United States Air Force.It was from Molesworth on 4 July 1942 that the first USAAF Eighth Air Force mission was flown over Nazi-occupied territory.It was designated US Station #107 and home to the USAAF 15th Bombardment Squadron firstly and then later to the entire 303d Bombardment Group. Details of the wartime use are avavilable at the Wikipedia site (see link at bottom).
RAF Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth were selected as the beddown sites for the GLCM in the UK. Preparation began for the ground launched cruise missile mission, and new facility construction began in September 1985. The 303d Tactical Missile Wing was activated on 12 Dec 86 at RAF Molesworth.The 303d Tactical Missile Wing's mission changed significantly after the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to limit Intermediate- range missiles in 1988 under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
When the INF Treaty was signed in December 1987, the US Air Force had just begun the deployment of INF GLCM missiles at Molesworth. Eighteen missiles and six launchers were listed in the treaty's Memorandum of Understanding and had been inspected during baseline. Following that period, the Molesworth GLCMs were withdrawn from the force, prepared for shipping, and transported to the United States for elimination at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona. Following the formal closeout declaration in December 1988, Soviet INF inspectors arrived at Molesworth on January 19, 1989, for the closeout inspection.Some of the facilities at RAF Molesworth covered under the treaty remained subject to Soviet inspection until 2001.
www.303rdbg.com/
It is now a non-flying facility under the control of the United States Air Force, and is one of three RAF bases in Cambridgeshire currently used by the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). Molesworth, along with RAF Alconbury and RAF Upwood are considered the "Tri-Base Area" due to their close geographic proximity and interdependency.
Order of Battle:
JIOCEUR Joint Analysis Center (JAC),
www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/eucom/jac/
Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO),
US National Imaging and Mapping Agency (NIMA),
NATO's Intelligence Fusion Center (IFC)
web.ifc.bices.org/index.htm
Africa Command (AFRICOM)
RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth are the last World War II-era Eighth Air Force bases in England that are still actively in use and controlled by the United States Air Force.It was from Molesworth on 4 July 1942 that the first USAAF Eighth Air Force mission was flown over Nazi-occupied territory.It was designated US Station #107 and home to the USAAF 15th Bombardment Squadron firstly and then later to the entire 303d Bombardment Group. Details of the wartime use are avavilable at the Wikipedia site (see link at bottom).
RAF Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth were selected as the beddown sites for the GLCM in the UK. Preparation began for the ground launched cruise missile mission, and new facility construction began in September 1985. The 303d Tactical Missile Wing was activated on 12 Dec 86 at RAF Molesworth.The 303d Tactical Missile Wing's mission changed significantly after the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to limit Intermediate- range missiles in 1988 under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
When the INF Treaty was signed in December 1987, the US Air Force had just begun the deployment of INF GLCM missiles at Molesworth. Eighteen missiles and six launchers were listed in the treaty's Memorandum of Understanding and had been inspected during baseline. Following that period, the Molesworth GLCMs were withdrawn from the force, prepared for shipping, and transported to the United States for elimination at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona. Following the formal closeout declaration in December 1988, Soviet INF inspectors arrived at Molesworth on January 19, 1989, for the closeout inspection.Some of the facilities at RAF Molesworth covered under the treaty remained subject to Soviet inspection until 2001.
www.303rdbg.com/
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Molesworth
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 52°23'5"N -0°25'7"E
- RAF Wittering 27 km
- Former RFC/RAF Thetford 79 km
- Former RAF Wainfleet (Range) 90 km
- RAF Donna Nook (Range) 130 km
- RAF Kinloss 621 km
- RAF Tain - Defence Training Estates 650 km
- Royal Air Force (RAF) Akrotiri 3295 km
- Al Udeid Air Base 5257 km
- Camp Bastion 5580 km
- RAF Mount Pleasant (MTN/EGYP) 12803 km
- Former GLCM Alert & Maintenance Area (GAMA) 0.7 km
- Thurning 5.5 km
- Great Gidding 7.2 km
- Titchmarsh Nature Reserve 7.8 km
- Aldwincle 8.2 km
- Wadenhoe 8.9 km
- Stoke Doyle 10 km
- Polebrook 10 km
- Oundle School 12 km
- Oundle Golf Club 12 km
Comments