Differences in European Air Defense

[Grim901]

First off, sorry if this is in the wrong place, i'm new.

I was just wondering if anyone could explain to me why there are such wild differences between the air defense systems of Western European nations?

For example, Germany and Italy are both participants in MEADS alongside the US, that basically replaces Patriot in all its roles (Anti-Air and BMD defence), whereas countries like Britain seem to have no similar system (especially in terms of BMD defence). All 3 countries are in the same region, none have immediate threats to their territory and if anything, Britain is in greater need of Air and BMD defence considering it's commitments in the Middle East.

Any thoughts?

 

[kato]

MEADS for both Germany and Italy is primarily anti-air, not BMD.

Britain has always tried to keep enemy aircraft well off its island. Hence why they also have a far stronger airforce than other European countries.

 

[Lopex]

Uk Air Defence Radar

Does anyone know where the air defence radars are based? Are they all RAF or does part of the system use civy ATC radars?
Any info and maps would be great?

 

[citizen578]

RAF radars

The RAF have personnel at Swanwick (HQ of National Air Traffic Service), and have specific built-for-purpose radar sites at strategic extremities of the UK. These are mostnotably RRH Saxa Vord (Outer Hebrides (and also the most nothernly inhabited island in the British Isles!)), RRH Potreath (Cornwall), RRH Staxton Wold (North Yorks). This is all integrated with surveillance radars at airbases across the UK.
I don't know for certain, but I would assume (both logically and from having crabs at Swanwick) that it's also fully integrated with NATS.
That would mean 100% coverage of UK airspace and the approaches.

They also have specific radar stations in the Falkland Islands, at Mount Kent, Mount Alice, and Byron Heights.


Byron Heights:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/51/178676622_d25c255d7d.jpg?v=0

Mt Alice:
[ame="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=P_X6KNIlxWM"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=P_X6KNIlxWM[/ame]

(gives you an idea)

 

[Grim901]

Would I be wrong in assuming that the Radar at RAF Fylingdales could be used to monitor airspace for aircraft etc as well as it's BMD and space monitoring facilities or does it only monitor at extreme high alititudes?

It doesn't seem likely since it covers all of Europe and a large proportion of North Africa and the Middle East.

 

[riksavage]

http://www.raf.mod.uk/raffylingdales/aboutus/whywearehere.cfm

Ouote from link: "The primary role of RAF Fylingdales is to maintain an uninterrupted missile warning service, thereby demonstrating that a surprise missile attack could not succeed.

The Unit’s secondary role is space surveillance, which forms an essential element of the primary task. Satellites in low Earth orbits, and decaying orbits of space objects re-entering the atmosphere, can easily resemble an incoming missile in flight; therefore, an accurate database of all man-made objects in space is of prime importance to prevent false indications of a missile attack."

No mention of aircraft or low flying missile earlywarning capabilities linked to any localised response.

Worst case scenerio you could place a line of Darings spread out along the English channel and use PAAMS to help provide a screen to protect the UK mainland from an attack directed from the East. PAAMS is designed to work as a controller using its long range radar to detect and then prioritise friendly air assets to deal with any detected threat.