Royal Air Force Wyton or more simply RAF Wyton(IATA: QUY, ICAO: EGUY) is a Royal Air Force station near St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is decommissioned and is now home to the Joint Forces Intelligence Group.
UK military intelligence analysis facility in Cambridgeshire, England
A Percival Petrel and Bristol Blenheim Mark IVs of No. 2 Group at Wyton between 1939 and 1941"Map of Air Routes and Landing Places in Great Britain, as temporarily arranged by the Air Ministry for civilian flying", published in 1919, showing "Wyton" as a "military and civil station", and as a stop on the route between Hounslow, near London, and the north.
Wyton has been a military airfield since 1916, when it was used for training by the Royal Flying Corps and then its successor the Royal Air Force (RAF).[3]
During the Second World War it was used primarily as a bomber base, flying Bristol Blenheim, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster aircraft.[4] In 1942 it became the home of the Pathfinder Force under the command of Group Captain Don Bennett.[3]
In 1974, three Nimrod R1s belonging to No. 51 Squadron arrived for use in the Elint and Sigint role, and in 1975, the T17 and T17A Canberras of No. 360 Squadron arrived: this was a joint RAF and RN Squadron specialising in Electronic countermeasures training.[5]
In the early 1990s one of its pilots was the rugby union player, Flight Lieutenant Rory Underwood.[6]
In May 1995 both RAF Wyton and RAF Alconbury airfields were decommissioned and Wyton was formally amalgamated with RAF Brampton, and later with RAF Henlow to make all three locations a single RAF Station under a single station commander for administrative purposes.[8] The airfield continued to host light aircraft for the Cambridge and London University Air Squadrons until they both moved to RAF Wittering in 2015.[9]
2011–present
Following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review the RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow formation was disbanded: RAF Henlow subsequently became a separate station again and RAF Brampton was demolished.[10]
The Joint Forces Intelligence Group, a unit which is responsible for the collection of signals, geospatial, imagery and measurement and signature intelligence,[11] moved from Feltham in Middlesex to RAF Wyton in 2013.[12][13] 42 Engineer Regiment relocated from Denison Barracks in Hermitage to RAF Wyton to co-locate with the Joint Forces Intelligence Group in July 2014[14] and No. 1 Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Squadron moved from RAF Marham to Wyton in April 2017.[15]
Hangars in 2013
Former units
The following squadrons were posted to Wyton between 1916 and 1935:
Electronic Warfare Engineering and Training Unit RAF (-1976) became Electronic Warfare and Avionics Unit RAF (1976-1993) became Electronic Warfare Operational Support Establishment RAF (1993-)[42]
Equipment Support (Air) Group RAF
Ground Controlled Approach Operators School RAF
Logistics Command RAF
Radar Reconnaissance Flight RAF
Currently operational units moved
On 25 March 2013 it was decided to relocate the following flying units from Wyton due to the high maintenance costs of the airfield.[43]
Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN1-85310-053-6.
Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN1-84037-086-6.
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