CDR Salamander - We Need to Talk About RAF Fairford and the B-1B FLAPEX

To say that the reporting of the last few days about the sudden departure of our B-1B bombers from RAF Fairford has been frustrating—for me at least—is an understatement.

Airfield security has been a pebble in my shoe for a very long time. I assume everyone is familiar with my post from 11 months ago a bout the wake-up call at Whitman AFB? If not, give it a read, then come back.

Let’s all get our reference point first from last week.

Five men who were arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences after a major incident was declared at an RAF airbase in the west of England have been released on police bail.

Three vans were spotted near RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday morning and the police were called. A major incident was declared, and everyone in the small village of Whelford was evacuated.

The head of Counter Terrorism Policing has stressed that the five men remain under investigation and must adhere to strict bail conditions. It has since come to light that the first of two 999 calls was made by one of the arrested men.

A dual UK-Iranian national, aged 25, has also since been arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

Investigators are exploring “multiple lines of enquiry”, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said on Monday, including whether proxies or individuals were working on behalf of a foreign state - knowingly or not.

Like all professionals do, let’s go to the map room.

This is what the geometry looks like.

OK. Soak that in a bit. Whelford is one of the few little residential areas around this base where our literally irreplaceable heavy bombers were operating from. The parking apron they are using? There it is, right around where the “RAF Fairford” label is.

Now, let’s give you some scale. The smaller circle is 500 yards from where the vans and “fellas” were. The larger circle is 1,000 yards.

Put on your force protection hat. Remember Operation Spider Web from over a year ago and what it was warning us about?

I know for a fact that there has been a rather heated argument over whether we are simply taking too many risks with some of our “There’s nothing dangerous about this airfield! Why, four generations of my family have been flying out of here.” attitude. Habits, inertia, etc.

We Americans make some assumptions about distance that is simply not a reality overseas, especially in Europe.

Let me give you an idea of what the USAF is used to when it comes to controlling the land around your strategic assets.

The issues about Whitman AFB that we discussed last year? Here is what those 500 and 1,000 yard radius circles look like from the CCP’s trailer park.

One of the two airbases that B-1Bs are based out of in the U.S. is Dyess AFB outside Abilene, TX.

The 500 and 1,000 yard radius circles are applied here—using the Whitman-standard-mobile-home-park launch area outside the base boundaries.

We are spoiled. It is as if no one really did a good Red Hat from a force protection point of view and assumed we’d be as safe “over there” as we are “here”. Complacent, comfortable, and … well … its England … how much safer can it be?

That is an assumption best left to the past. FY2027’s Jolly Old England is not your grandfather’s Jolly Old England. From letting those found in Fairford out on bail early, to the whole Diego Garcia issue, to their neglect of their military readiness, to their flooding themselves with undigestible hordes of military-aged males from parts of the world who hold the West in contempt…the whole stew is starting to smell a bit off. Old assumptions no long apply.

What should the Navy be thinking about? As the members of the Front Porch know, I’ve always been a fan of Strategic Homeporting going back decades, not just for our aircraft, but for our fleet.

I hate fleet concentration areas simply because it makes the enemy’s targeting challenges easier. Master air bases simply ensure compounded strategic risk in an era of transnational terrorists, millions of illegal aliens, and drone technology. Accountants love consolidate mega-bases as much as our enemies.

Let’s look around a few of our CONUS Navy bases.

Compared to Fairford, NAS Oceana is a little better, but not much.

On the other side of town, Naval Base Norfolk is even better from the marina parking lot on Willoughby Spit. Ahem.

Even my favorite force protection nightmare, Naval Base San Diego, looks like Fort Knox compared to Fairford.

Now, if you really wanted to put a dent in the U.S. Navy air ASW, surveillance and reconnaissance, then the trailer park across from NAS Jacksonville…well…yeah.

So, does everyone have a better handle on why we had to bug out of RAF Fairford?

We could go through a whole host of other legacy NATO bases and get equally ugly results.

What to do?

1. Disperse our most critical assets across more bases. Yes, it makes logistics, maintenance, more difficult and expensive…but that is cheaper than losing assets on the deck that are no longer in production.

2. Rededicate ourselves to the concept that institutionalized #1: strategic homeporting. Packing everyone in one spot is just stupid.

3. Take base security seriously. The United States Air Force Security Forces need to make the Royal Air Force’s RAF Regiment look like mall cops and should have full control over the air defenses of its bases, from last-100-yard gun systems up to Patriot batteries clawed back from the Army.

4. NAVAIR needs to benchmark what the USAF does with its bases, especially naval airbases.

5. The Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations must, at every opportunity, bring up the lessons of the last few years about the disadvantages of large, static bases as a primary way to project power. Remind everyone of the flexibility, security, and national ownership of having your assets afloat—from C2 to strike. Assets at sea are not fully secure, but they are harder to kill.

We live in a new tactical, operational, and strategic environment.

Distribute risk.

Mitigate threats.

No, it isn’t sexy. It isn’t cheap. It isn’t fun, but it must be done.

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