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RAF(U) Swanwick
Near Swanwick, Hampshire in England
The NATS Swanwick building where RAF(U) Swanwick is located
RAF(U) Swanwick is located in Hampshire
RAF(U) Swanwick
RAF(U) Swanwick
Shown within Hampshire
Coordinates50°53′12.48″N 1°17′9.96″W / 50.8868000°N 1.2861000°W / 50.8868000; -1.2861000
TypeRoyal Air Force unit
Site information
OwnerNATS Holdings
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Air Command
ConditionOperational
WebsiteOfficial website
Site history
Built2002 (2002)
In use2002 – present
Garrison information
Current
commander		Wing Commander Chrissie Miller

RAF (Unit) Swanwick edit

Royal Air Force (Unit) Swanwick or RAF(U) Swanwick is an air traffic control unit of the Royal Air Force based alongside civilian counterparts at NATS Swanwick, Hampshire in England.

The unit provides area air traffic management for military and civil aircraft across the UK flight information region, airspace management and air defence resilience entity. [1]

The air traffic control service for RAF Northolt, located on north west London, is also provided by RAF(U) Swanwick.

History edit

run by National Air Traffic Services (NATS). Military and civilian Air Traffic Control staff work together to ensure the safe passage of civilian and military aircraft flying over England, Scotland and Wales (and their coastal waters).

The Swanwick site was opened by NATS in 2002. It is home to London Area Control Centre (LACC), which manages civilian en-route air traffic in the London Flight Information Region (covering airspace over England and Wales) and London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC), which manges aircraft flying in and out of London’s airports.

2002 saw civilian area radar units move to Swanwick whilst the military and terminal control centres remained at West Drayton. It wasn’t until 2007 / 2008 that all radar units were located at Swanwick along with the Distress and Diversion Cell.


Due to technological advances, there was no longer a requirement for two military area radar control centres in the United Kingdom.

RAF Prestwick's Distress & Diversion Cell moved to Swanwick in December 2012, centralising all D&D operations in the UK.[2]

RAF Prestwick closed on 6 December 2013, with its operations and thirty personnel were transferred to Swanwick to form a single military area radar unit for the UK.[3]

Role and operations edit

Distress and Diversion Cell edit

The Distress and Diversion (D&D) Cell provides assistance to both military and civil aircraft experiencing an emergency. The cell maintains a continuous listening watch on both guard frequencies, 121.5 MHz for civilian aircraft and 243.0 MHz for military aircraft.[4] The cell can activate temporary danger areas to provide protection to search and rescue aircraft at the scene of an emergency.

Military Airspace Booking and Co-ordination Cell edit

Radar Analysis Cell edit

RAF Northolt air traffic control edit

The air traffic control service for RAF Northolt, located in north west London, is also provided by RAF(U) Swanwick.[1]

Heritage edit

The station's motto is Viatores caeli tutare.[1]

Swanwick's gate guardian is former RAF Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 'XW917' which has been present since 2012. The aircraft was last operated by No. 3 Squadron at RAF Wildenrath in Germany, prior to withdrawal from service in the 1980s.[5]


Name Location State Country Coordinates Commanding organization Wing or unit emblem Primary missions and units
Buckley Air Force Base Aurora Colorado   United States 39°42′06″N 104°45′06″W / 39.70167°N 104.75167°W / 39.70167; -104.75167 (Buckley AFB) Buckley Garrison Space Delta 4 provides space-based missile warning, space surveillance and space communications capabilities.[6]
Cape Cod Air Force Station Bourne Massachusetts   United States 41°45′12″N 70°32′19″W / 41.75333°N 70.53861°W / 41.75333; -70.53861 Buckley Garrison   Home to 6th Space Warning Squadron, a Geographically Separate Unit of Space Delta 4, operating the PAVE PAWS radar in the ballistic missile early warning role.[7]
Cavalier Air Force Station Mountain North Dakota   United States 48°43′55″N 97°54′16″W / 48.73194°N 97.90444°W / 48.73194; -97.90444 (Cavalier AFS) Buckley Garrison   Home to 10th Space Warning Squadron, a Geographically Separate Unit of Space Delta 4, operating the AN/FPQ-16 PARCS radar in the missile warning and space surveillance role.[8]
Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station Colorado Springs Colorado   United States 38°44′37.57″N 104°50′48.40″W / 38.7437694°N 104.8467778°W / 38.7437694; -104.8467778 Peterson-Schriever Garrison   Geographically Separate Unit of the Peterson-Schriever Garrison. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex serves as NORAD and US Northern Command's Alternate Command Center.[9]
Clear Air Force Station   United States 64°17′26″N 149°11′13″W / 64.29056°N 149.18694°W / 64.29056; -149.18694 (Clear Air Force Station)   Tracking station providing early warning surveillance of Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBMs) to the Missile Correlation Center (MCC) at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Geographically Separate Unit of the 168th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard.[10]
Los Angeles Air Force Base El Segundo California   United States 33°55′08.79″N 118°22′50.23″W / 33.9191083°N 118.3806194°W / 33.9191083; -118.3806194 (Los Angeles AFB) Space and Missile Systems Center   Home to the Space and Missile Systems Center. The center manages research, development and acquisition of military space systems. The 61st Air Base Group provides base support.[11]
New Boston Air Force Station Manchester New Hampshire   United States 42°56′32.46″N 71°38′9.94″W / 42.9423500°N 71.6360944°W / 42.9423500; -71.6360944 Peterson-Schriever Garrison   Home to the 23rd Space Operations Squadron, a Geographically Separate Unit of Space Delta 6. Tracking station forming part of the Air Force Satellite Control Network.[12]
Peterson Air Force Base Colorado Springs Colorado   United States 38°49′25″N 104°41′42″W / 38.82361°N 104.69500°W / 38.82361; -104.69500 (Peterson AFB) Peterson-Schriever Garrison   Home to Space Delta 2, Space Delta 3 and Space Delta 7

which provides missile warning and space control to NORAD and US Strategic Command through a network of command and control units and ground and space-based sensors operated by geographically separate units around the world.

Pillar Point Air Force Station Half Moon Bay California   United States 37°29′52.3″N 122°29′54.1″W / 37.497861°N 122.498361°W / 37.497861; -122.498361 (Pillar Point Air Force Station) 30th Space Wing   Provides telemetry gathering for space launches from Vandenberg AFB and aircraft testing from Edwards AFB.[13]
Schriever Air Force Base Colorado Springs Colorado   United States 38°48′12″N 104°31′32″W / 38.80333°N 104.52556°W / 38.80333; -104.52556 (Schriever AFB) Peterson-Schriever Garrison   Home to Space Delta 6, Space Delta 8 and Space Delta 9.

support satellite programs including the Global Positioning System, Defense Satellite Communications System, Wideband Global Satellite Communications, Milstar, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Space Based Space Surveillance, Operationally Responsive Space satellite system, Advanced Extremely High Frequency, X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and the worldwide Air Force Satellite Control Network.[14]

Vandenberg Air Force Base Lompoc California   United States 34°43′57″N 120°34′05″W / 34.73250°N 120.56806°W / 34.73250; -120.56806 (Vandenberg AFB) 30th Space Wing   The 30th Space Wing and Space Delta 5 supports West Coast launch activities for the Air Force, Department of Defense, NASA, national programs and various private industry contractors, using a variety of expendable vehicles including Atlas V, Delta IV, Delta II, Pegasus, Minotaur, Taurus and Falcon.[15]
  1. ^ a b c "RAF(U) Swanwick". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 7 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "History of Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre". NATS Blog. NATS. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  3. ^ Ducan, Wing Commander Bruce (9 December 2013). "RAF Prestwick Ensign Lowering Ceremony". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  4. ^ Gawne, Flight Lieutenant Charlie (19 August 2014). "Distress and Diversion". NATS. Retrieved 7 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Dickson, Flight Lieutenant Gael (9 August 2016). "Return of the Swanwick Gate Guardian". NATS. Retrieved 7 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "460th Space Wing". Buckley Air Force Base. US Air Force. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  7. ^ "6th Space Warning Squadron PAVE PAWS". Peterson Air Force Base. US Air Force. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  8. ^ "10th Space Warning Squadron". Peterson Air Force Base. US Air Force. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station". North American Aerospace Defense Command. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  10. ^ Clear Air Force Station Website Archived 9 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Units". Los Angeles AFB. US Air Force. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  12. ^ "23rd Space Operations Squadron". Schriever Air Force Base. US Air Force. January 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Fact Sheet – Pillar Point Air Force Station". Vandenberg AFB. US Air Force. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Units". Schriever AFB. US Air Force. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Vandenberg Air Force Base". Vandenberg AFB. US Air Force. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
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