I n t h e W o r k p l a c e
Future Brize M
Programme
Group Captain David Houghton the Programme’s Manager, explains the hugely ambitious move that will see the merger of RAF Lyneham and RAF Brize Norton.
any of you may have heard about a new initiative called Programme Future
Brize. Indeed, some of you, your partners or friends will already have been involved in work to support the Programme. But what is it, what are we trying to achieve and why do we need a dedicated Programme?
The focus The focus of Programme Future Brize is the co-location of all the UK’s current and future Strategic and Tactical Air Transport, Air-to-Air Refuelling, and associated capabilities on a single operating base, which will become the UK’s single military Air Port of Embarkation in support of operations. The successful delivery of Future Brize is fundamental to the UK’s ability to support both current deployed operations and future contingencies at any scale.
Ambitious
As you will have gathered, the Programme is ambitious and highly complex, requiring the relocation of two types of Hercules aircraft from Lyneham and the integration of their capabilities with the three existing platforms based at Brize Norton. Concurrently, the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft and A400M, major programmes in their own right, will be introduced to service and integrated into operational use, with the associated drawdown of the aircraft they replace, the TriStar, VC10 and C-130K.
In addition to the aircraft, a number of large lodger units and their people will be relocated. They, like the squadrons, are required to maintain their operational output throughout the transition. In all, approximately 2,500 serving personnel, civil servants and contractors will be relocated from Lyneham to Brize Norton, alongside their equipment. This will result in RAF Brize Norton becoming home to around 5,500 Service personnel (around 15% of the RAF’s uniformed manpower), and their families, along with significant numbers of our civil service colleagues and industry partners. This puts in context the scale of the challenge we are facing and the critical need to succeed.
Milestones Well, a key milestone will be the relocation of the C-130 force to RAF Brize Norton in July/ August 2011, with all flying operations ceasing at RAF Lyneham by 30 September 2011. This will be followed by the movement of other major units from Lyneham to Brize Norton, after which RAF Lyneham will be declared surplus to HQ AIR requirements by 31 December 2012. Concurrently, new Single Living Accommodation (SLAM) will be developed at RAF Brize Norton and planned major infrastructure programmes (including a new Air Terminal and Freight Handling Facility) will come to fruition, while Defence Estates will deliver appropriate
and acceptable Service Families Accommodation (SFA) to meet the demand expected at Future Brize Norton. Throughout all this, the critical operational support provided by RAF Brize Norton and RAF Lyneham must continue without interruption – no small task.
A change in approach Future Brize represents a major change in the way the RAF has approached the redevelopment of RAF Brize Norton and drawdown of RAF Lyneham. It is not just a new name for the now defunct ‘CATARA’. As the newly-appointed Senior Responsible Owner, Air Vice-Marshal Hillier, Air Officer Commanding 2 Group, now has direct
26
Autumn 2009
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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