RAF Feltwell
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RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is currently used by the United States Air Forces Europe. Between 1989 and 2003 it also hosted the US Air Force's 5th Space Surveillance Squadron (5 SPSS) which was subordinate to the 21st Operations Group (21 OG) and the 21st Space Wing (21 SW), both at Peterson AFB, Colorado. These organizations in turn are subordinate to the 14th Air Force (14 AF) at Vandenberg AFB, CA which reports to HQ Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), also at Peterson AFB, CO.
The 5 SPSS (initially designated "Detachment 1, 73rd Space Surveillance Group", or "Det 1 SSURGP") was part of the USAF's Passive Space Surveillance Network which tracked the physical location of emitting satellites in orbit. This data along with that from other systems was used to de-conflict the orbits of various satellites and manned vessels (for instance the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station) to reduce the risk of on-orbit collisions.
However other USAF systems and capabilities ultimately superseded DSTS and it were removed in 2002 and the unit was de-actived shortly thereafter.
The base is now a housing estate for United States Air Force personnel stationed nearby at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, while also containing the Airman Leadership School for USAF personnel in the UK, as well as being the home of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's AAFES sole furniture store in the country.
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[edit] Location
RAF Feltwell is located in the South Western corner of Norfolk, England at approximate Ordnance Survey grid reference TL 715 900
[edit] See also
- List of RAF stations
- United States Air Forces in Europe
- United States Air Force in the United Kingdom
[edit] History
The airfield was built during the period of expansion of the RAF in the late 1930's and is similar in layout to many of the other RAF airfields of the period (for example RAF Marham, RAF Watton and RAF West Raynham). The airfield was home to a number of heavy bomber squadrons of the RAF during World War II. Post war RAF Thor Missiles were stationed here at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
[edit] References
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| ACTIVE BASES: | RAF Alconbury (USAFE) • RAF Croughton (USAFE) • RAF Fairford (USAFE) • RAF Feltwell (USAFE) • RAF Lakenheath (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Menwith Hill (USAFE) • RAF Mildenhall (SAC/USAFE/AMC) • RAF Molesworth (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Upwood (USAFE) • RAF Welford (USAFE) | |||
| INACTIVE BASES: | RAF Bentwaters (USAFE) • RAF Burtonwood (AFMC) • RAF Chelveston (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Chicksands (USAFSS) • RAF Greenham Common (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Manston (USAFE) • RAF Sculthorpe (SAC) • RAF Shepherds Grove (USAFE) • RAF Upper Heyford (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Wethersfield (USAFE) • RAF Woodbridge (USAFE) | |||
| ACTIVE ORGANIZATIONS: | United States Air Forces in Europe • HQ Air Command Europe • 48th Fighter Wing (USAFE) • 100th Air Refueling Wing (USAFE) • 501st Combat Support Wing (USAFE) | |||
| PAST ORGANIZATIONS: | Third Air Force • Sixteenth Air Force |
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