A major planned change at RAF Fairford has been dropped following the reversal to close another US Air Force (USAF) base in Suffolk.

In November 2018 it was announced that the RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft would move to RAF Fairford from RAF Mildenhall.

More than 500 USAF personnel and their families were supposed to be relocated to Fairford, in a move which was expected to be a multi-million pound boost to the local economy.

However, earlier this year it was announced that RAF Mildenhall would remain open. It has now been confirmed that the RC-135 Rivet Joint mission will remain there.

While the surveillance aircraft are technically based at Offutt AFB in Nebraska, they maintain a forward operating base at Mildenhall to enable them to respond quicker to intelligence requirements around the Russian border.

RAF Fairford will still remain a vital cornerstone of USAF capabilities. The currently based U-2s are frequently seen flying from the base.

Whilst it was anticipated that the RC-135 mission would require significant extra construction, the base has recently received an upgrade to its telecommunications network.

Over the next five years some £148 million of construction projects are planned a the base.

Photos courtesy of Jeremy Flack.