USAF

The United States Air Force has bases in Britain among other countries world-wide. There has been a thinning of the UK installations in the last decade. Main operating centres are Fairford, Lakenheath and Mildenhall, plus a few other smaller locations.

Vehicles operated in the UK comprise specialist vehicles imported from the USA - fire trucks, runway vehicles, de-icers etc, plus locally purchased vehicles which tend to be transport vehicles; factory produced vans and trucks.

The numbering system employed uses two numbers, a letter and up to five numbers (eg 93X61711). The first two numbers are a year identifier, followed by a user letter, followed by a serial number. We have no official information but user letters appear to indicate:


B	Transport Vehicles	Including cars, pick ups, buses and trucks
C	Construction	Plant, tipper trucks, etc
D	Runway Vehicles	Sweepers
E	Engineering	Fork trucks,etc
K	Security Vehicles	Utilities,trailers,etc
L	Fire	Fire Trucks and Aircraft Refuellers
W	Aircraft Servicing	Aircraft Steps De-icers, Toilet Vehicles, etc
X	Special Purpose	Special purpose vehicles

Two other number series are UKAX followed by three numbers, which supply the American forces equivalent of the NAAFI; and USAF followed by four numbers, which we believe to be for welfare purposes.

A small number of US Army and US Navy vehicles have been stationed in the UK from time to time.