On my way home from an overnight explore down south, it seemed a shame to waste the beautiful summer-like days we were having in mid-February, so I decided to stop off at RAF Coningsby's old weapons storage facility. It's not all that far from where I live, and I'd been meaning to take a look whenever I had a chance, so this seemed like the ideal opportunity.
History
RAF Coningsby Remote Weapons Store, as the name suggests, is a facility built for the purpose of storing and preparing weapons including missiles and bombs, situated in a separate compound close to the outer edge of the main airbase.
The facility was built in order to reduce the quantity of explosives stored within the base, therefore reducing the number of personnel and aircraft exposed to risk. An incident occurred in 1971 when an electrostatic discharge caused a SNEB rocket that was being prepared to initiate its rocket motor. Two armourers were killed, and this could be one of the reasons for deciding to build the store further away.
RAF Coningsby itself is operational as Quick Reaction Alert station, and is home to Eurofighter Typhoons from No. 3 Squadron, No. XI Squadron and No. 29 Squadron.
Little information is available about the history of the bomb store, but this is no surprise owing to the fact it belongs to an active RAF base. The facility has separate storage and preparation facilities and does not appear on historic maps dated 1977 or earlier. Hardened Aircraft Shelters were constructed within the airbase from 1981-1987 to accommodate Tornado Jets. The Tornados were capable of carrying a range of missiles and weaponry, so it is likely the weapons storage facility was built around the same time as the hangars to service the weaponry for those aircraft. The facility appears to have been out of use for a good number of years.
Aerial view of the weapons store as seen on Google Maps
This hand-drawn plan was found within the site
View down the road of section 1
Storage areas in section 4
The entrance to storage area 14C
Building 21F entrance
Building 12 contained this mobile communications unit
Inside the mobile comms unit
There were also some opened crates of naval gun mounts
Missile Servicing Bay and an ivy-clad building
Inside the ivy building
Missile Servicing Bay
A few of the other buildings scattered around the site...
Looking over to the command centre
Inside the command centre
Bunk beds
I'm not sure what this does, but it looked pretty cool
Huge diesel generator
Sentry post at the east gate
Eastern gateway
History
RAF Coningsby Remote Weapons Store, as the name suggests, is a facility built for the purpose of storing and preparing weapons including missiles and bombs, situated in a separate compound close to the outer edge of the main airbase.
The facility was built in order to reduce the quantity of explosives stored within the base, therefore reducing the number of personnel and aircraft exposed to risk. An incident occurred in 1971 when an electrostatic discharge caused a SNEB rocket that was being prepared to initiate its rocket motor. Two armourers were killed, and this could be one of the reasons for deciding to build the store further away.
RAF Coningsby itself is operational as Quick Reaction Alert station, and is home to Eurofighter Typhoons from No. 3 Squadron, No. XI Squadron and No. 29 Squadron.
Little information is available about the history of the bomb store, but this is no surprise owing to the fact it belongs to an active RAF base. The facility has separate storage and preparation facilities and does not appear on historic maps dated 1977 or earlier. Hardened Aircraft Shelters were constructed within the airbase from 1981-1987 to accommodate Tornado Jets. The Tornados were capable of carrying a range of missiles and weaponry, so it is likely the weapons storage facility was built around the same time as the hangars to service the weaponry for those aircraft. The facility appears to have been out of use for a good number of years.
Aerial view of the weapons store as seen on Google Maps
This hand-drawn plan was found within the site
View down the road of section 1
Storage areas in section 4
The entrance to storage area 14C
Building 21F entrance
Building 12 contained this mobile communications unit
Inside the mobile comms unit
There were also some opened crates of naval gun mounts
Missile Servicing Bay and an ivy-clad building
Inside the ivy building
Missile Servicing Bay
A few of the other buildings scattered around the site...
Looking over to the command centre
Inside the command centre
Bunk beds
I'm not sure what this does, but it looked pretty cool
Huge diesel generator
Sentry post at the east gate
Eastern gateway
