Brüggen Air Base

Military and political strategic realignment. The closure was a direct result of the UK's 1998 Strategic Defence Review, which initiated a significant drawdown of British forces stationed in Germany following the end of the Cold War. The perceived threat from the Warsaw Pact had diminished, making large, forward-deployed air bases like Brüggen less critical to NATO's defense posture.

The site is undergoing a major civilian redevelopment. After the British Army left in 2015, the vast area was acquired by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is being transformed into a mixed-use area known as 'Gewerbe- und Industriepark Elmpt' (Elmpt Business and Industrial Park). A significant portion of the former base, including parts of the runway and natural areas, is being converted into a nature reserve. The remaining area is being developed for commercial purposes, including a large logistics center for the online retailer BestSecret and a state-of-the-art automotive testing center for driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles. While the main runway and many taxiways are still physically present, they are no longer maintained for aviation and are being integrated into the new developments or reclaimed by nature. Many of the distinctive Hardened Aircraft Shelters still stand as relics of the Cold War.

Opened in 1953, RAF Brüggen was a major front-line NATO air base during the Cold War, operated by Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG). It was a key component of NATO's tactical air power in Central Europe. Initially, it hosted bomber squadrons flying the English Electric Canberra. It later transitioned to a strike/attack and reconnaissance role, operating some of the RAF's most potent aircraft, including the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2, the SEPECAT Jaguar, and most famously, the Panavia Tornado GR1. Squadrons based at Brüggen (such as Nos. 9, 14, 17, and 31) were at a high state of readiness, and the base was equipped with Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS) and was a designated tactical nuclear weapons storage site. Tornado squadrons from Brüggen played a significant role in the 1991 Gulf War (Operation Granby) and subsequent operations over the Balkans in the 1990s.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening Brüggen as an airport. The extensive and ongoing redevelopment into a commercial park and nature reserve makes a return to aviation use functionally impossible. The region is well-served by existing airports such as Düsseldorf (DUS), Weeze (NRN), and Maastricht Aachen (MST), eliminating any demand for a new airport at this location.