The Station

RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire provides a continuous ballistic missile early warning service to the UK and US Governments, ensuring a surprise missile attack cannot succeed.

The RADAR is capable of tracking objects including satellites and debris, 3000 miles into space.

Approximately 320 Service Personnel, Ministry of Defence Police, and civilian staff work on site.

RAF Fylingdales falls under UK Space Command.

We are watching

Commander

Wing Commander Thomas Colledge MSc RAF

Thom Colledge grew up in Holland and joined the RAF in 2002 as an Air Operations specialist. Thom has worked as an airfield operations manager at busy Stations including, Valley, Benson and Lyneham, he brings a wealth of experience to the role of Station Commander that includes operational deployments to Afghanistan working with the Army and Special Forces. 

A French speaker, Thom attended Advanced Staff College l'Ecole de Guerre,  prior to a 3-year exchange as operational planner within the French MOD. 

Who's based here

Squadrons

History

The Ballistic Missile Early Warning System was a partnership between the United States of America and the United Kingdom to provide radar coverage to counter intercontinental ballistic missile attack.

The early 1960s saw two stations completed and become operational at Thule in Greenland and Clear in Alaska. To complete the radar coverage for the United States and to provide advanced warning it was decided to build a third station in England.

The site on the North York Moors was selected and construction work began in 1960. The construction of the iconic golf balls was completed and the site became operational in September 1963. However, with advances in technology the radar system was upgraded in 1990 and the Solid State Phased Array Radar was declared operational in October 1992. 

Key dates

1963   RAF Fylingdales was declared Operational with the iconic three golf balls on the Moors.

1992   The Solid State Phased Array Radar was declared operational to replace the golfs balls.

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