RAF Waddington is located south of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, and is home to the Royal Air Force's Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft.
Aircraft based at RAF Waddington include the RC-135W Rivet Joint and Beechcraft Shadow R1. RAF Waddington is also the operating base for the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted medium-altitude, long endurance aircraft.
From September 2022, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows were based at RAF Waddington, because of the closure of RAF Scampton.
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Scanner Frequencies
RAF Waddington Scanner Frequencies
CAC (Swanwick Mil) - 275.500
Approach - 345.075, *362.300
Zone - 119.500, 232.700
Director - 280.175, *123.300
PAR - 344.200, 231.800
Tower - 241.325, *257.800, 121.300, *121.100
Ground - 342.125
OPS - 369.400
ATIS - 291.675
*= NATO Common Frequency
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Aircraft & Squadrons
RAF Waddington is home to the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Air Wing which presently consists of the RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft and Shadow R1 aircraft.
The Shadow Mk1 fleet, which provides the MOD with battle-winning intelligence gathering, is being expanded and upgraded, with Shadow Mk2 due to enter service in 2024.
RAF Waddington is also the operating base for the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted medium-altitude, long endurance aircraft. These will be replaced by the MQ-9B Protector remotely piloted aircraft. The first of sixteen RAF Protectors arrived at RAF Waddington, from Southern California, via an Antonov An-124 Transport aircraft, at the end of September 2023, with an in-Service date later in 2024 and operational flying expected to start in 2025. These aircraft will be able to operate in busy unsegregated civilian airspace. More details
here.
The Rivet Joint aircraft is equipped with a variety of sensors, allowing its multi-disciplined crew to intercept and exploit emissions across the electromagnetic spectrum, providing both strategic and tactical level intelligence. The Shadow R1 is an ISTAR asset which improves a military commander's awareness of what is happening on the ground or in the air.
With the closure of RAF Scampton, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows now operate from RAF Waddington. A Red Arrows display schedule can be found
here.
The Sentinel R1 was retired at the end of March 2021 and the E-3D Sentry was retired in August 2021. The Sentry is expected to be replaced by the more capable E-7A Wedgetail aircraft which will have an initial operating capability by 2024 and be based at
RAF Lossiemouth.
RAF Waddington's Squadrons include No.13 Squadron operating the MQ-9A Reaper, No.14 Squadron operating the Shadow R1, No.51 Squadron operating the RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft and No.54 Squadron which is the ISTAR Force Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) who are responsible for training all RAF crews assigned to the MQ-9A Reaper, Shadow R1, RC-135W Rivet Joint and Poseidon MRA1 (based at RAF Lossiemouth). No.54 Signals Unit are responsible for producing intelligence from imagery intelligence and electronic surveillance.
Also based at RAF Waddington is No.56 Squadron ISTAR Operational Evaluation Unit (OEU) as well as the Intelligence Reserve Wing, No.8 RAF Force Protection Wing and RAF Air and Space Warfare Centre. Other RAF Units include a Mobile Meterological Unit, the RAF Waddington Voluntary Band, No.216 Squadron who are tasked with testing future drone swarm technology and the British Army 8 Engineer Brigade. The RAF Waddington Flying Club are also based here with a Cessna 152, Cessna 172 and PA-28.
• 13 Squadron - MQ-9A Reaper.
• 14 Squadron - Shadow R1.
• 31 Squadron - To be equipped with Protector RG1.
• 51 Squadron - RC-135W Rivet Joint.
• 54(OCU) Squadron - Shadow, Rivet Joint, Reaper & Poseidon.
• 56(OEU) Squadron - Shadow R1, RC-135 & Protector RG1.
• 216 (Experimental Unit) Squadron - Testing future drone swarm technology.
• Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, Red Arrows - Hawk T1.
History
Waddington opened as an RFC training station in 1916, and transferred to the Royal Air Force when they were formed in 1918, until 1920, when the station was closed and went into care and maintenance.
RAF Waddington reopened in 1937 after being developed into a fully equipped Bomber Station. It was equipped with Hawker Hinds, Handley Page Hampdens, Bristol Blenheims, and Avro Anson. In 1940, the station received the Avro Manchester heavy bomber, and in 1942, were the first in RAF Bomber Command to operate the Lancaster.
In 1957, Waddington became an Avro Vulcan V-bomber base until 1968 when the UK nuclear deterrent passed to the Royal Navy with their Polaris submarines. During the Falklands War, three of Waddington's Vulcans and crews were involved in the bombing raid on Port Stanley airfield (Operation Black Buck).
In the mid-1980s, Waddington became home to a few NATO AWACS aircraft and the RAF used these aircraft until it bought it's own AWACS fleet in 1991.
RAF Waddington hosted the largest
Royal Air Force air show until its cancellation in 2015. The last air show at RAF Waddington took place in 2014, and it will not return again due to 'significant security concerns and operational risks'.
The Sentinel R1 was retired at the end of March 2021 and the E-3D Sentry was retired in August 2021. The Sentry is expected to be replaced by the more capable E-7A Wedgetail aircraft which will have an initial operating capability by 2024 and be based at RAF Lossiemouth.
The Red Arrows were based at RAF Waddington at the end of 2022, with the closure of RAF Scampton.
Red Arrows.
RAF Protector UAV.
E-3D Sentry.
Sentinel R1.
