RAF Greenham Common

The end of the Cold War rendered the base's strategic mission obsolete. Following the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the resident cruise missiles were removed. The United States Air Force (USAF) officially departed in September 1992, and the UK Ministry of Defence declared the site surplus to requirements and closed it the following year.

The site has been completely transformed. After the base closed, the runway and most military taxiways were broken up in 1997. The majority of the land was returned to public access and is now known as Greenham and Crookham Commons, a large nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) popular for recreation. A portion of the former base has been redeveloped into the New Greenham Park, a thriving business park. Several key historical structures have been preserved, including the former Control Tower, which now serves as a community cafe and visitor center, and the highly secure GLCM Alert and Maintenance Area (GAMA) bunkers, which are maintained as a historical monument and occasionally opened for tours.

RAF Greenham Common has immense historical significance, primarily from World War II and the Cold War. Constructed in 1942, it was used by the RAF and USAAF during WWII as a base for troop carrier aircraft involved in major operations like the D-Day Normandy landings and Operation Market Garden. During the Cold War, it became a key Strategic Air Command (SAC) base, hosting B-47 Stratojet bombers in the 1950s, for which its runway was significantly extended to 10,000 feet. The base is most famous for its role in the 1980s as one of two UK sites hosting American BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCMs). This deployment was highly controversial and led to the establishment of the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp in 1981, a long-running and internationally recognized protest against nuclear proliferation that lasted for 19 years.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Greenham Common as an airport. The runway has been physically removed, and the land has been legally restored to common land with significant environmental protections (SSSI status). The site's current use as a public common, nature reserve, and business park makes any future aviation use virtually impossible.