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Kinloss rescue co-ordination centre closure announced Kinloss rescue co-ordination centre closure announced
(35 minutes later)
The aeronautical rescue co-ordination centre (ARCC) at Kinloss in Moray is to close, it has been announced. The search and rescue co-ordination centre at Kinloss in Moray is to close, the Ministry of Defence has announced.
The ARCC is to relocate to the National Maritime Operations Centre at Fareham. A total of 27 RAF posts and 10 civilian posts are said to be affected by the relocation to the National Maritime Operations Centre at Fareham.
The Kinloss centre has been responsible for co-ordinating all RAF, Royal Navy and Maritime and Coastguard Agency search and rescue helicopters. It also co-ordinates the Royal Air Force mountain rescue service. The Kinloss centre co-ordinates RAF, Royal Navy and Coastguard search and rescue helicopters, as well as the RAF mountain rescue service.
A total of 27 RAF posts and 10 civilian posts are said to be affected. SNP Moray MP Angus Robertson described the news as ''devastating".
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the move would improve the UK's search and rescue services. He said it was "the latest in a series of disproportionate MoD cuts to defence bases, capabilities and personnel."
However, SNP Moray MP Angus Robertson, the party's defence spokesman, said: "This is devastating news for the personnel at Kinloss, for Moray and for Scotland more generally." The MoD said there would be no compulsory military redundancies as a result of the closure, and personnel would be assigned to other duties across the UK.
'Better service'
It said the move to the Fareham, between Southampton and Portsmouth on the south coast of England, would improve the UK's search and rescue services.
A UK government spokesman said: "The relocation of the aeronautical rescue co-ordination centre (ARCC) to the National Maritime Operations Centre at Fareham will combine the aeronautical and maritime rescue coordination functions, resulting in a better service for those in distress.
"The new UK search and rescue service will use brand-new faster helicopters to cut average response times and providing a more reliable overall service."
The spokesman insisted that the "defence commitment to Scotland is clear".
He added: "By 2020, Scotland will be home to one of three Royal Navy main bases - including all its submarines - one of the British Army's seven Adaptable Force Brigades, and one of three Royal Air Force fast jet main operating bases.
"Just last week the defence secretary visited the new aircraft carriers being built in Rosyth. While there, he confirmed that the Type 26 frigates will be built on the Clyde - maintaining thousands of jobs in Scotland."
'Cynical approach'
However, Mr Robertson, the SNP's defence spokesman, said: "Two out three Scottish airbases have been cut, the entire maritime patrol fleet has been scrapped and we have the lowest military personnel numbers in Scotland in living memory.
"That the closure announcement is happening in the middle of a life threatening storm and comes only weeks after the independence referendum tells you much about the cynical approach of the MoD and the UK government."
Fishing leaders said they would seek assurances about the quality of future rescue services.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF), said the industry would want to be sure that there would be no "break" in service.
But he added: "Location is a secondary issue to the quality of communications".
RAF Kinloss closed as an air force base in 2012, and became the Kinloss Barracks.RAF Kinloss closed as an air force base in 2012, and became the Kinloss Barracks.