£100m Poseidon Facility Opens At RAF Lossiemouth

A new multi-million pound P-8A Poseidon Strategic Facility at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray has fully opened. 

The facility, which cost about £100m, has taken two years to build and can hold up to three Poseidon aircraft, plus two squadrons.

Four of the RAF’s new P-8A Poseidons have already arrived at Lossiemouth, with five more due to arrive by the end of next year – completing the nine-aircraft fleet.

The 'state-of-the-art' facility for the submarine hunters was handed over to the Ministry of Defence in July.

The base has been undergoing a makeover worth more than £400m in total ahead of the arrival of the Poseidons.

Its two runways are also being improved as part of a £75m upgrade, while the intersection between them has been stripped, strengthened and then resurfaced.

Lossiemouth is one of the RAF’s two Quick Reaction Alert bases and home to four Typhoon fighter jet squadrons.

Typhoon facilities are also being improved with £20m of investment, which includes the refurbishment of a hangar and construction of new technical and storage facilities.

The fighter jets moved to Leuchars Station in Fife while runway resurfacing work was carried out but returned last month.

The Poseidons, meanwhile, operated from nearby Kinloss Barracks during the works and also returned last month. 

An aerospace centre of excellence is also set to be established next to RAF Lossiemouth as part of the base's upgrade.

The Moray Aerospace, Advanced Technology and Innovation Campus will support the new Poseidon fleet.

Also included in the revamp are improved accommodation for personnel, a new Air Traffic control tower, upgrades to drainage and electrical supplies, and upgrades to IX (Bomber) Squadron facilities which moved to RAF Lossiemouth earlier this year.

Cover image: The P-8 Poseidon Strategic Facility at RAF Lossiemouth in the summer (Picture: RAF).