🇬🇧 RAF Lakenheath Airport

RAF Lakenheath (ICAO: EGUL, IATA: LKZ) is a Royal Air Force station located near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, approximately 11 nautical miles northwest of Bury St Edmunds and bordering Brandon,.

Type of facility and operations: Despite being an RAF station, RAF Lakenheath exclusively hosts United States Air Force (USAF) units and military personnel. It is operated by the United States Air Force and controlled by United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). The host unit is the 48th Fighter Wing, also known as the Liberty Wing. The base permits both IFR and VFR traffic.

Notable features or history:

• Early History: The site was first used as a Royal Flying Corps airfield during World War I for bombing and ground-attack range practice. Surfaced runways were constructed in 1941, and it served as a satellite base for RAF Mildenhall, hosting Short Stirling bombers of No. 149 Squadron.
• USAF Presence: The USAF established a presence at Lakenheath in 1948 with the deployment of Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress bombers.
• Aircraft: The 48th Fighter Wing operates F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning IIs. The first F-15E Strike Eagles arrived in 1992, and the base began receiving F-35A Lightning IIs in December 2021.
• Infrastructure: The base has a single runway, 05/23, measuring 2,742 meters (8,999 ft) by 46 meters (151 ft) with a concrete/asphalt surface,. Recent infrastructure developments include the construction of a dedicated F-35 campus, including maintenance hangars, squadron operations buildings, flight simulators, and residential accommodation.

Current status: RAF Lakenheath is operational. It is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, which includes the 492nd, 493rd, 494th, and 495th Fighter Squadrons. The base also features a hospital with A&E capability. It is not open to the public.

*Sources researched: lakenheath.af.mil, aidu.mod.uk, en.wikipedia.org, globalsecurity.org, pilotnav.com*