SA-8 AA Missile

The SA-8 is from RAF Spadeadam

RAF Spadeadam is located on the edge of Wark and Kielder Forest between Hadrians Wall and the Scottish Borders. The estate is approximately 9600 acres, extending north towards Kielder Water, making it the largest RAF Station in the UK. Spadeadam is also the youngest of the RAFs UK bases having opened in 1976. Initially the unit was a combined venture between the RAF and United States Air Force in Europe (USAFE).

The Royal Air Force operates the only low level land-based Electronic Warfare (EW) Tactics Range in Europe. The role of the Range is to provide an environment which enables aircrews from all NATO countries to develop, evaluate and practice the EW tactics necessary to defeat ground based anti-aircraft systems. During the Cold War it was Spadeadams role to replicate a hostile air environment allowing NATOs aircrews to hone their skills flying at very low levels underneath simulated Warsaw Pact Radar Systems.

In 1989 the Berlin Wall was dismantled and the Warsaw Pact collapsed. With the political face of Europe changing USAFE commenced a draw-down of their forces and in October 2000 RAF Spadeadam became a solely British affair.

I took part in an EW demo in Beguim in '88? Great fun with F1-11s, F16s and the US EW carrier aircraft (with the gold inlay visor - forgot the name, help?). That was very frightening as they used every aircraft in their armada to come and bomb us to bits. For the audience (and our sakes) they rigged up commz through the tannoy system and extremely strange to hear a yank F16 pilot inform the world they had blown us up. Great picture too!

The SA-6 is from RAF Spadeadam

Click to expand...

SA-6 ? are you sure Matzos. Im sure its an SA-8.
I Have been wrong before though eh ?

SA-6

Yippee, I was right.
Must of been a typo eh Matzos ?, eh was it eh,eh,eh???

-- Sorry, sorry, one big typo, its is a SA-8 --

(will correct the error)

LOl just kidding buddy.

Whats 6 or 8 between friends

It dont mean nothin buddy. sal;

Anyway excellent photograph,