New barges installed for air target practice

Two barges have been installed off the Lincolnshire coast for air target practice by the RAF.

The boats, made from steel and adapted for military use, were transported from the River Crouch in Essex along the coast to Holbeach Air Weapons Range (AWR), which is owned by the Ministry of Defence.

An application was submitted to South Holland District Council in April 2025, which said that, "through age and corrosion", two of the site's targets needed replacing to ensure the range remained operational.

Air Commodore Simon Blackwell said the new targets would help air crews be "ready to fly, fight and win".

He said: "Against the backdrop of current global volatility, the importance of these targets to maintain ready access to realistic training is clear, enabling our combat aircrew to maintain their skills and readiness to respond to any demand."

The delivery of the barges was a joint effort between the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), mulitary support service provider Landmarc, and construction and marine industry specialists Topbond PLC.

Tom Davidson, from Landmarc, described the installation as "a challenge".

He said: "The project required detailed planning and coordination between multiple organisations, all while managing ecological requirements and working around weather and tidal conditions."

Brig Gavin Hatcher, from DIO, said the installation would help air crews carry out essential training in a "challenging yet safe environment".

He said the vessels would help ensure crews were "able to train and be operationally ready to deploy at a moment's notice".

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