Looking ahead at RAF Mildenhall's now-secure future

Feature

Royal Air Force Mildenhall in Suffolk is one of three major UK bases which is operated by the US Air Force. The station is home to the only USAF air-to-air refueling assets in Europe, alongside a dedicated Special Operations Wing, which supports special forces operations throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

RAF Mildenhall was first established as a military airfield on October 16, 1934, and served as an RAF bomber station during World War Two. It was home to Lancaster, Wellington and Stirling squadrons, as well as being the headquarters of No 3 Group, Bomber Command, which remained at Mildenhall until 1967.

KC-135R, F-15Es and F-15C [USAF/Tech Sgt Matthew Plew]
In 2019, a Mildenhall KC-135 and three Lakenheath-based F-15s received special heritage schemes to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The aircraft took part in a multiple flypasts over Europe including the Normandy beaches and Poland. USAF/Tech Sgt Matthew Plew

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Originally published in Combat Aircraft Journal

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