NHER 59121 (Building record) - PPP Store, Former RAF Coltishall (Building 139)

This steel-framed storage building was erected in 1993. It is clad in brick and steel.
A. Cattermole (HES), 21 May 2013.

Mobility Supply Flight Priority Placement Programme Store. 1988. This light green building with two white doors was for use by the USAF if they took over the station during a war. Its precise purpose is not known. The name Priority Placement Programme is, in peace-time, quite innocuous whereas in a time of crisis it might cover a multitude of potential activities and uses. The building did have a USAF title and was funded by MoD USAF budget. MoD site maintenance staff only ever inspected the exterior and the services to it, and everything else was under strict control (S1).
D. Gurney (HES), 21 November 2013.

Within the building there are signs referring to hydrazine. Hydrazine is a "mono fuel" used in the F-16 fighter to start the engine through a small power unit using this fuel. It is a highly toxic fluid in that it is a known carcinogenic (cancer causing), and required very careful handling. It would have been vital to preposition this fluid at "forward bases" to enable F-16 aircraft to operate, as all other aircraft requirements such as normal aviation fuel would be readily available from local supplies. This might be a reason for the restricted access to the storage area. The fuel would not be readily available to the Americans if deployed here, hence a stock of this would be maintained at forward areas to allow operations to go ahead prior to relief supplies coming in (S2).
D. Gurney (HES), 7 July 2015.