RAF Fylingdales says a fond farewell to Wing Commander Al Walton as he handed over to new Station Commander, Thom Colledge. Wing Commanders Alun Walton and Thom Colledge
Thom joins our Whitby community from glamorous Paris, returning to the UK from a liaison job in the British Embassy. A fluent French speaker, keen skier and surfer, Thom’s tenure as Station Commander could not have started at a busier time, as RAF Fylingdales becomes part of the new UK Space Command.
With a vast experience of operational roles, Thom is the perfect fit for the strategically important RADAR Station and said:
“Taking the role of Station Commander at RAF Fylingdales is an amazing opportunity. Over the next couple of years I will be here supporting staff in their missions and leading the station’s transition into the new UK Space Command.”
Thom went on to say:
“Not only does my new posting provide me with an exciting career opportunity, my family and I are very excited to be living in Whitby, with the sea and countryside on our doorstep – which we intend to take full advantage of.”
Royal Air Force Fylingdales sits on the North York moors and has been an iconic landmark for the last 58 years. The Ballistic Missile Early Warning Site, or BMEWS as it is known, detects objects with a ballistic trajectory that could be a threat to the UK and our allies.
With the capability to look 3,000 miles into space and detect an object the size of a Coca-Cola can, the RADAR can track satellites, space debris and space launches. The five-person crew, with their civilian counterparts, routinely track the International Space Station and over 8,000 other objects every day. RAF Fylingdales is the only UK Military Ballistic Missile Sensor seeing into space - tracking objects in space is daily business similar to an air traffic control network but much bigger and with quicker response times. RAF Fylingdales tracks objects to keep space safe, ensuring objects are exactly where they should be to avoid collisions and plays a key safety role for manned space vehicles.
