Vital upgrades at RAF Coningsby phased to protect UK airspace
Carefully managed works will ensure Typhoon jets remain on 24-hour Quick Reaction Alert as ageing airfield infrastructure is replaced
Vital upgrade work at RAF Coningsby is being carefully phased to ensure the station’s Quick Reaction Alert - or QRA - role protecting UK airspace continues uninterrupted.
The Lincolnshire base is one of just two QRA stations in the country, with Typhoon combat aircraft on standby 24 hours a day.
The £28-million project includes replacing ageing aircraft support platforms, resurfacing key areas of the airfield, and upgrading lighting - much of it infrastructure that dates back decades.
Project manager Robert Noyes from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation said the team is “fully replacing two large aircraft support platforms and a number of smaller aircraft support platforms and all the airground lighting.”
He explained that some of the concrete now being removed is extremely old.
“Some of it is as old as 1953, 54,” he said, adding that over time the aggregate can work loose, creating a potential hazard for aircraft.
Because of Coningsby’s frontline defence role, the work is being carried out in close coordination with the RAF.
“Whatever areas we work on… we always work very closely with the RAF to ensure that the operations are completed in a way that minimises any impact” Mr Noyes said.
"We will work in some areas for some of the time, and that allows operations to take place in other areas.
"And then as we work our way round the phases, we don't impact any of the QRA assets there or any of the other squadron."
Alongside the concrete replacement, traditional halogen airfield lights are being swapped for LEDs - improving sustainability while reducing long-term running costs.
The overall aim, Mr Noyes added, is primarily “sustainment” - ensuring this strategic RAF asset remains safe, resilient, and ready to respond as part of the UK’s air defence network.