THE future of an RAF base remains uncertain after a Government announcement that new aircraft will be stationed elsewhere.

A defence shake-up earlier this year left RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, preparing to lose both its Tornado F3 squadrons by 2008.

The base had been on the shortlist to receive the replacement Typhoon Eurofighter, but the aircraft has now been allocated to RAF Leuchars, in Scotland, and RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire.

Despite reassurances that the base would stay open following the reorganisation announced in July, MoD officials said the future of RAF Leeming was in the balance.

An MoD spokesman said yesterday: "There is a defence airfield review ongoing at the moment, and we are not expecting the results to be published until the end of next year.

"But what we do know already is that we have too many airfields. One of the objectives of the review is to look at making savings by rationalising the number of airfields we currently have.

"Leeming could close or it could stay open and change the type of aircraft that it operates."

Flight Lieutenant Tim Pearson, a spokesman for RAF Leeming, confirmed the future role of the base would not be known until the review was published.

However, he said he believed the base would stay open and that 100 Squadron, flying Hawk T1 aircraft, will remain at the least.

Other units at RAF Leeming include Air Defence Support Squadron and Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron.

The announcement that RAF Leuchars would be the second Typhoon base was made in the Commons by Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram.

Leuchars was chosen over Leeming because it is established as a quick reaction alert interceptor base, and its location relative to RAF Coningsby means it provides the best geographic coverage of the UK.