RAF Wyton

Overview

The Station

RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire is a UK Strategic Command Station and home to the National Centre for Geospatial Intelligence which provides intelligence support to the Armed Forces deployed on operations around the globe.

RAF Wyton opened in 1916 and was used for training by the Royal Flying Corps. During WWII it was used primarily as a bomber base. In 1942 it became home of the Pathfinder Force under the Command of Group Captain (later Retd Air Vice Marshall) Don Bennett.

RAF Wyton is also home to the Ministry Of Defence Police HQ , and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation Regional HQ.

Commander

Wing Commander Jim Doyle MBE MEng(Hons) MA MIET RAF

Wing Commander Jim Doyle MBE is a Royal Air Force Communications and Electronics Engineer whose experience is predominantly in deployed Communications Information Services (CIS), cyber effects and information operations.

Doyle commissioned in July 2006 having gained a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Bristol. His initial assignments were at RAF St Mawgan and RAF Valley supporting the RAF Search and Rescue Force, and later 90 Signals Unit supporting the RAF’s deployable and contingency CIS on operations globally. He later commanded 591 Signals Unit at RAF Digby, establishing it as the RAF’s lead Defensive Cyberspace Operations unit. His staff assignments include as Chief Engineer at the Tactical Data Link Support Authority, and 2- and 3-star Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding No 38 Group and later the RAF Future Operating Model Study sponsor.

Wing Commander Doyle assumed command of RAF Wyton in July 2023 on return from a 3-year exchange with United States Cyber Command.

Who's based here

Key dates

1916 - Airfield opened as a training airfield for the Royal Flying Corps.
1939 - Aircraft from RAF Wyton took part in some of the first bombing raids of the Second World War.
1942 - The Pathfinder Force was formed here under Group Captain Don Bennett.
1956 - Joint School of Aerial Photographic Interpretation was founded.
2013 - Pathfinder building opened to house the Joint Force Intelligence Group.

History

The Airfield at Wyton first became associated with the Armed Forces in 1916, when the Royal Flying Corps began training pilots at the Station. In 1918 the Royal Air Force was formed and Wyton continued to train units for overseas operations.

The first sortie of the World War Two took off from RAF Wyton in 1939 and Wyton aircraft took part in the last Bomber Command raid on Germany in 1945. The legendary Pathfinder Force was created in 1942 and RAF Wyton was chosen to be the Headquarters as well as one of the Flying Stations.

In 1945 the Pathfinder Force disbanded. In 1953 the first Photographic Reconnaissance Units (PRUs) arrived; however, re-equipment soon took place with the new PR version of the Canberra. In 1971 the first Nimrod aircraft arrived. In April 1975 the last of the Victor aircraft departed. Throughout the next two decades Canberra units came and went.

In 1994 Wyton ceased to be an independent unit and was merged with RAF Brampton, on 2 April 2012 RAF Wyton once again became an individual RAF Station, control of the station transferred from HQ Air Command to the newly established Joint Forces Command (JFC) and Joint Forces Intelligence Group (JFIG) continues to be based at RAF Wyton.