RAF Cosford and RAF Stafford are set to become part of a West Midlands ‘Super Garrison’ as soldiers return to Britain from Germany, the Ministry of Defence has revealed.

Details of the plan were disclosed by Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram to Stafford MP David Kidney. Today’s development spells a possible new lifeline for both force bases.

The Midland sites have both been fighting for survival and the move would bring thousands of soldiers and their families to the region.

The death knell on storage and distribution operations at RAF Stafford was sounded last year, but the base is currently being kept alive by the new 22 Signals Regiment. Around 80 per cent of the regiment has now moved to the Beaconside base and is expected to reach full operating capability by December.

However, the future of RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, is still in the balance after it missed out on a multi-billion pound contract to become a defence training super site for the UK.

Its current training role will end in 2011, and neither ministers nor defence chiefs can say how many military or civilian jobs will be lost.

It was revealed today that Stafford and Cosford were both high up on a list of several sites being assessed as potential bases for units returning from Germany, but no decisions are expected before the summer.

In a written response to a question by Mr Kidney, Mr Ingram revealed: “There is an additional aspiration to create, in the longer term, a West Midlands Super Garrison, of which Stafford may be a part.”

Mr Kidney said: “I personally support the locations at both Stafford and Cosford as part of the solution to the plans to locate troops returning from Germany.”

EXCLUSIVE by Sunita Patel

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