RAF Kinloss

RAF Kinloss
Kinloss, Moray in Scotland
Nimrod aircraft parked at RAF Kinloss.
Power to the Hunter[1]
RAF Kinloss Location in Moray
Coordinates	57°38′58″N 003°33′38″W / 57.64944°N 3.56056°W / 57.64944; -3.56056
Type	Royal Air Force station
Area	666 hectares[2]
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Strike Command * No. 18 Group RAF RAF Air Command * No. 1 Group RAF
Condition	Closed
Site history
Built	1938 (1938)
In use	1939–2012 (2012)
Fate	Transferred to British Army to become Kinloss Barracks. Airfield maintained as a Relief Landing Ground.
Garrison information
Past commanders	Group Captain James Johnston (final station commander)
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: FSS, ICAO: EGQK, WMO: 03066
Elevation	6.7 metres (22 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 07/25 2,375 metres (7,792 ft) Asphalt

Royal Air Force Kinloss, or more simply RAF Kinloss, is a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north east of Scotland, UK.

The RAF station opened on 1 April 1939 and served as a training establishment during the Second World War. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command to monitor Soviet ships and submarines in the Norwegian Sea. Until 2010 it was the main base for the RAF's fleet of Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 maritime patrol aircraft. It was intended that the MR2 would be replaced by the Nimrod MRA.4, but the MRA4 was cancelled in the Strategic Defence and Security Review of October 2010. As a result, Kinloss became surplus to RAF requirements and regular flying operations ceased on 31 July 2011.

In November 2011, the Ministry of Defence and 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group of the British Army announced that 930 personnel from 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) would move from Waterbeach Barracks, near Cambridge, to Kinloss in summer 2012. The first personnel of 39 Engineer Regiment arrived in June 2012, with the majority arriving in July 2012. The airfield is maintained as a relief landing site by Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4s from nearby RAF Lossiemouth.

On 26 July 2012 the RAF Ensign was lowered for the last time, and replaced by the flag of 39 Engineer Regiment, marking the establishment of Kinloss Barracks.