Premier Technical Services Group Ltd (PTSG) has been involved in a project to provide lightning protection services at RAF Lakenheath.
The Royal Air Force station, located near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, hosts United States Air Force units and personnel. The host wing is the 48th Fighter Wing, of which the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle belongs.
PTSG’s engineers delivered repair work to the catenary lightning protection system in place at the base. This type of lightning protection system is thought of as a “horizontal” lightning air terminal. It is well suited to facilities that contain flammable and explosive materials or where the installation of traditional air terminals is challenging or impossible.
The F-15 is a stunning fighter plane offering next generation technologies including an advanced cockpit, AESA radar, digital electronic warfare suite, the world’s fastest mission computer and modern sensors to remain ahead of current and evolving threats. PTSG’s engineers were able to experience the fighter plane in action during this project.
PTSG has vast experience in delivering multi-disciplinary specialist services within secure, operational air force bases. In the past, its engineers have worked at RAF Marham in Norfolk, delivering essential upgrades to existing lightning protection systems. The Group has built up a wide portfolio in the aviation sector, with work extending abroad. This included providing specialist support to 12 individual site assets at the construction site of Hamad International Airport (HIA), Qatar. On its way to a successful solution, PTSG overcame unique challenges presented by working in an environment foreign to many of its engineers.