BATTLE OF BRITAIN DINING IN NIGHT - The Insight Online

RAF Waddington through the Ages:Part 4 The Desert WarsWith the disbandment of 50 Squadron and the retirement of its last AvroVulcan from service in 1984, RAF Waddington found itself facing permanentclosure. However, it soon became the home to NATO AWACS operatingaway from their main base at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen on the Germany-Dutch border, proving the Station’s ability to support a sizeable AEW fleet.These aircraft were co-manned bythe RAF until the United Kingdompurchased its own AWACS fleet,which entered service in 1991.Although the UK aircraft were notready to enter service during the1991 Gulf War, Waddington servedits own role in DESERT STORM,becoming the port for Americancausalities arriving back from theWar. With the arrival of the Station’sfirst new E-3D Sentry and theElectronic Warfare OperationalSupport Element (now knownas the Air Warfare Centre) fromRAF Wyton in 1995, the Stationcompleted it’s transition to theforefront of UK ISTAR Operationsand took its place in the ensuingDesert Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.E-3A aircraft alongside 5Hangar on forward deploymentto RAF Waddington, 1984Using the ramps and taxiwaysrecently vacated by theVulcans, NATO’s Airborne EarlyWarning E-3As begin to useRAF Waddington as a ForwardOperating Base. Royal Air Forcecrew flew alongside their NATOcounterparts in preparation forthe arrival of the new NimrodAEW3 aircraft and retirement ofthe Shackelton AEW Mk2.Construction of the futureSentry Dispersal on the Stationsports pitches, late 1987With the cancellation of theNimrod AEW3 Programmein 1986, Waddington wasdesignated the new homefor 8 Squadron and theBoeing E-3D Sentry. ExistingStation infrastructure andhangars were insufficientto support the new aircraftand extensive modernisationbegan. The Station sports pitchgave way to the new AlphaDispersal and taxiways wererebuilt to accommodate the344,000lb aircraft.22 InsightMAGAZINE