RAF Barford St John

Post-WWII military drawdown and strategic repurposing. The airfield's primary function as a training facility was no longer required after the war. It was placed on 'Care and Maintenance' in 1946 before being repurposed for communications.

The site is an active, high-security military installation used by the United States Air Force (USAF) as a communications annex for RAF Croughton. It functions as a global communications hub, hosting a variety of high-frequency (HF), microwave, and satellite communication equipment. The landscape is dominated by numerous large radio masts, antenna arrays, and radomes. While the faint outline of the original runways can be seen from the air, they are no longer functional for aviation and have been partially removed or repurposed as internal access roads. The site is a critical node in the US Department of Defense's Defense Information Systems Network (DISN).

RAF Barford St John was opened in July 1941 as a satellite airfield for the nearby RAF Croughton. Its primary role during World War II was as a training base. It was home to No. 16 Operational Training Unit (OTU), which was responsible for training night bomber crews for RAF Bomber Command. Crews were trained on twin-engine bombers, primarily the Vickers Wellington, with Avro Ansons also used for navigation and pilot training. The airfield was a standard Class A bomber airfield, featuring three concrete runways, hangars, and technical sites. After its main wartime role ended, it was briefly used by No. 103 Flying Refresher School before flying operations ceased.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Barford St John as an airport. Its current, long-standing role as a vital and active military communications station for the USAF and its allies makes any conversion back to an aviation facility extremely unlikely. The site's infrastructure is entirely dedicated to its secure communications mission.