RAF Boulmer

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=RAF Boulmer


caption=Station badge
dates=1953 – Present
country=United Kingdom
branch=Royal Air Force
command_structure=
type=Operational
role=Air Surveillance and Control
size=1100 Service personnel, civil servants and contractors
current_commander=Group Captain W J Millington MA MA(Oxon) RAF
garrison=30 miles north of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
garrison_label= Located
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=
motto="‘semper in exubitu vigilans’" ('Always the Vigilant Sentry')
colors=
colors_label=
march=Royal Air Force March Past
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=
anniversaries=

RAF Boulmer Airport codes|N/A|EGQM is a Royal Air Force station near Alnwick in Northumberland and is currently home to ASACS Force Command, Control and Reporting Center Boulmer, the school of Fighter control, No. 202 Squadron RAF search and rescue, and the support staff needed to run such an important station.

WWII

In 1940 a dummy airfield was set up near the village of Boulmer in order to divert German attacks from nearby RAF bases such as RAF Acklington. In 1943 RAF pilots began using the dummy airfield as a relief landing ground. Later that year the airfield became operational as a training field for No 9 Battle Training School.

Cold War

In 1953 present day RAF Boulmer was opened as an Air Defence Control Centre as part of the ROTOR programme and later became part of the Linesman/Mediator system protecting the airspace of the United Kingdom. High powered radars were installed, positioned to detect Soviet bombers attacking from the North Sea. In 1978 A flight of 202 Squadron moved their search and rescue helicopters to Boulmer. Initially they flew Westland Whirlwinds and later Westland Sea Kings.

Post Cold War

In 1990 the RAF School of Fighter Control was moved to RAF Boulmer, and then in 1994 Number 1 Air Control Centre (1ACC) reformed at RAF Boulmer, providing the Royal Air Force with a highly-capable, rapidly-deployable fielded air command and control capability. Later equipped with Lockheed Martin Type 101 Air Defence Radars, 1ACC played a key role in Operation TELIC following the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq.

In 2002, the Station began a major refurbishment of the underground bunker and installation of new equipment as part of the UKADGE Capability Maintenance Programme (UCMP). Valued at £60 Million, the first phase of the programme was declared operational at RAF Boulmer on 16 August 2004.

In 2004 RAF Boulmer's newly-refurbished NATO Control Reporting Centre (CRC) took over all air defence functions previously administered by the CRCs at RAF Buchan and RAF Neatishead. As the sole CRC in the UK, Boulmer has responsibility for 24-hour surveillance of the UK's airspace, as well as liaison with NATO allies around Europe, in order to maintain an effective air defence cover for NATO's Northern Air Defence Region.

In late July 2004 it was announced that RAF Boulmer would close by 2012, with the majority of its functions transferring to RAF Scampton. The first action taken in response to this announcement was for 1ACC to move to RAF Kirton in Lindsey, a former Fighter Command base in Lincolnshire. This would bring the Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS) closer together (the new CRC at RAF Scampton and the E3 Sentry force at RAF Waddington both also belonging to the ASACS Force). 1ACC's move to Kirton was completed in early 2005. Later that same year, due to perceived difficulties with funding for Scampton, a review was announced into the decision to close Boulmer.

On the 10th of January 2008 it was announced that a study had been conducted into where to base elements of the Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS). The results concluded that the best option – in both financial and operational terms – is to retain RAF Boulmer as the ASACS hub and as a result the station would stay open beyond 2012.

The base is affiliated to HMS "Northumberland".

ee also

*List of RAF stations
*RAF Scampton
*RAF Buchan
*RAF Neatishead

External links

* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafboulmer/ RAF Boulmer home page]
* [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/b/boulmer/index.html Subterranea Britannica page on RAF Boulmer]