RAF Cottesmore

The closure was a direct consequence of the UK's 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). This review mandated the immediate withdrawal from service of the entire Harrier GR9/T12 fleet. As RAF Cottesmore was the main operating base for the Harrier force, the retirement of its resident aircraft eliminated its primary role, making the station surplus to RAF requirements. The decision was part of a wider military restructuring and cost-saving initiative.

The site is now an active British Army installation named Kendrew Barracks. Following its closure as an RAF station in 2012, it was handed over to the Army. It is now home to several regiments, including the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment and the 7th Regiment Royal Logistic Corps. The airfield infrastructure, including the main runway, taxiways, and hangars, remains largely intact but is repurposed for army logistics, vehicle storage, and training exercises rather than regular aviation.

RAF Cottesmore had a rich and significant history spanning over 70 years. It opened in 1938 as a bomber station for RAF Bomber Command. During World War II, it was home to squadrons flying Handley Page Hampdens and, later, Avro Lancasters. In the Cold War era, it became a key V-bomber base, operating both Handley Page Victor and Avro Vulcan bombers as part of the UK's nuclear deterrent. From 1981 to 1999, it gained international prominence as the home of the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE), a collaborative effort between the UK, Germany, and Italy to train Panavia Tornado aircrews. Its final, and perhaps most famous, role was as the main base for the UK's Joint Force Harrier from 2000 until the aircraft's retirement in 2010, making it the last operational home of the iconic Harrier jet.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the site as an airport. It has been fully converted into a major, operational Army barracks, and its infrastructure is now integral to the Army's ground-based operations. A return to either military or civilian aviation use is considered extremely unlikely.