About us

RAF Wittering’s roles are ’To prepare Force Elements and individuals for operations, support lodger and parented units and provide military airfield services.’

One of the oldest flying stations in the Royal Air Force, RAF Wittering has played a prominent part both in military operations and in the development of air power throughout its rich and diverse history dating back to 1916; it continues to do so today. The Station, which is home to more than 1500 RAF, Royal Navy (RN) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) civilian personnel, now has responsibility for a wide range of diverse operational units, both in terms of the output from the elements that make up the A4 Force (the RAF’s expeditionary engineering and logistics force) and in respect of the support it provides for all the units and personnel, both military and civilian, at Wittering. In addition, since April 2011 the Station Commander of RAF Wittering has also had responsibility for the 750 RAF, RN and MoD civilian personnel at RAF Cottesmore, as that unit prepares to drawdown and close by March 2012.

RAF Wittering continues to provide an area air traffic control service within Witterings Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone and maintains an active airfield in support of a wide range of military flying activities. Any potential future uses for the estate and the airfield operating surfaces at RAF Wittering are currently part of the detailed basing assessment involving the RAF, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Land Command following the Defence Basing announcement made by Secretary of State on 18 Jul 11. The RAF and the MOD continues to seek the best possible value for money from all its assets, while balancing our ability to operate safely when delivering key Defence outputs.

RAF Wittering

No 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing, comprising:

No 71 (Inspection and Repair) Squadron (based at RAF St Athan)
No 93 (Expeditionary Armament) Squadron (based at RAF Marham)
No 5001 Squadron
No 5131 (Bomb Disposal) Squadron

No 85 (Expeditionary Logistics) Wing, comprising:

No 1 Expeditionary Logistics Squadron
No 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron
No 3 Mobile Catering Squadron
Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron (based at MOD Boscombe Down)

Based at RAF Brize Norton

No 4624 (Movements) Squadron RAuxAF

Based at RAF Leuchars

No 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron RAuxAF

Based at RAF Lyneham

1 Air Mobility Wing

Tactical Medical Wing

No 4626 (County of Wiltshire) Aeromedical Squadron RAuxAF

Other Units Based at RAF Wittering

In addition, the following units and squadrons are located at RAF Wittering for parenting support but their command and control lies elsewhere:

No 1 RAF Force Protection Wing HQ
No 3 Squadron RAF Regiment
Air Support Role Office
Low Flying Operations Squadron
HQ South & East Midlands Air Training Corps
Careers Liaison Office (East Midlands)

RAF Wittering also provides domestic parenting support to personnel of the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (Peterborough), which operates within the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.