A unique aerial photo taken while flying over RAF Honington. It shows in detail the very secure nuclear weapon store at the back of the base, where at present warheads from the redundant Polaris submarines are being stored along with the RAF tactical warhead, WE177B, until recently carried by the Tornado GR1A.
Details of RAF Nuclear movements across the UK since early 1950's. At present the ageing WE177s are slowly being transported for the last time from RAF Honington and RAF Marham, where the last weapons from Germany had been transported for store in the SSA at the back of the Base, to AWE Burghfield near Reading in Berkshire, where weapons are stripped down for the final time.In the past weapons were regularly serviced and transported back to the various RAF bases for use with the Tornado GRIA, and previously Victors and Vulcans. At present the Provost and Security Squadron based at RAF Wittering supply the drivers and support staff to operate the special convoys, which use the rather unusual Foden four axle tractor units Twin Steer, Twin Drive, connected to three axle twin wheel trailer, with a gross weight of 48 Tonnes.
The convoy broken down on the Erskine Bridge just north west of Glasgow on the M8/A82
The convoys although based at Wittering normally move empty on a monthly cycle to Burghfield where it picks up the new Trident D5 warhead to be taken to RNAD Coulport in Scotland. This takes three days the first stopping at the convoys home base RAF Wittering on the A1. The convoy or as called by the crew the Stick travels up the A1 to Albemarle a disused army base on the west side of Newcastle just off the B6318 for an overnight stop before crossing the border and heading for Glasgow, after a normal peaceful demonstration the convoy travel north west towards the Trident submarine base at Faslane. The convoy then leaves after two or three day rest sometimes bringing back the used and obsolete chevaline A3tk warhead from the Polaris program.