RAF Mildenhall to close

It's been reported that the Pentagon's to close one of the region's biggest airbases.

RAF Mildenhall will close as part of sweeping reorganisation of forces in Europe.

Operations at RAF Mildenhall, home to Air Force special operations forces, air refueling tankers and 3,200 military personnel, will end and missions carried out there will be moved to other locations such as Germany.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon plans to station two squadrons of F-35s at RAF Lakenheath by 2020, which ensures the continuous presence of U.S. air power in the country.

As a result of the moves, there will be a slight reduction in overall force levels. However, Germany and Italy are expected to gain troops through the Pentagon’s moves.

In all, the Pentagon expects to save about $500 million annually from the consolidations, which have been under review for more than a year.