Red Arrows to stay in Lincolnshire after closure of RAF Scampton

The world-famous aerobatics team will move around 11 miles away to RAF Waddington, when RAF Scampton closes its doors in 2022, but will still be seen in the skies above the Lincolnshire village of Scampton after the move.

The Red Arrows were formed in 1964 and they have been based at RAF Scampton since 1983.

The move is part of the MoD’s £4bn plan to upgrade its estate and modernise its facilities and infrastructure over the next 10 years.

Coun Christine Talbot, who represents Waddington and Hykeham East, said she could “cry with joy” at hearing the news, which has ended a long period of uncertainty over where the Red Arrows would be based.

RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire and RAF Wittering near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, had been the two other possible locations for bases for the Red Arrows.

Coun Talbot said: “It is absolutely fantastic. It will be a huge boost for the community and joyous for Lincolnshire.

“There was great fear that they were going to move to North Yorkshire or go to Wittering. There have been huge campaigns going on.

“It has been on and off for quite some time. It was the uncertainty.”

The nine Hawk Jets of the Red Arrows were last seen in action on May 8, marking VE Day by performing a flyover of the deserted streets of central London, having taken off from RAF Scampton.

RAF Waddington is one of the RAF’s busiest stations as the hub of UK Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance and is the main operating base for airborne intelligence aircraft and systems like the E-3D Sentry AEW1, as well as the control centre for Reaper drones in Afghanistan.

Around 3,500 service personnel, civil servants and contractors work there.

Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said: “As we saw during the recent VE Day celebrations, the Red Arrows have a proud and prominent place in British culture and have long demonstrated the best of what the UK Armed Forces offer with their world-renowned skills, discipline and teamwork.

“It is good news that we have an excellent base for them at RAF Waddington, and I am delighted that they will be able to continue to practise their extraordinary aerobatic talents above RAF Scampton in their home county of Lincolnshire.”

Air Vice-Marshal Warren James said the Red Arrows showcase “the very best of the British precision and leadership for industry on a global scale, inspiring next generation interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through an air and space power lens.”

He added: “The announcement of this move will provide much needed stability for their future endeavours.”

RAF Scampton was home to 617 Squadron – famous for its role in the Dambuster raids of World War Two.

Based from No 2 Hangar, the squadron won their place in the history books under the command of Guy Gibson with their successful raid on the Ruhr dams in May 1943.

All four hangars are Grade II listed and “quite dilapidated”, which could present difficulties for developers, said Lincolnshire Council leader Martin Hill.

He said that they had work with the district council, MP Edward Leigh and the Ministry of Defence on the site’s future.

One of the issues is likely to be pollution, after its long history as a busy airbase.

Coun Hill said they did not want it sold to developers “that try to put inappropriate housing on it”, adding: “Certainly people who live round there are very nervous about having large-scale housing. It could have the odd bit of housing, but that’s it.”