Stansted Airport is to be a temporary base for RAF military planes while work is carried out at an Oxfordshire airbase.
RAF Brize Norton is set to undergo essential resurfacing and improvement works, leading to temporary airfield closure.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that the planned modernisation programme aims to keep the base fully operational for decades to come.
As a result, all airfield operations and flights will be temporarily relocated to various other UK locations.
An MoD spokesman said: "Members of the public living near RAF Brize Norton or near dispersal locations may notice increased activity at some sites during this period.
"This is entirely planned and expected."
The Atlas and Globemaster fleets will primarily operate out of MoD Boscombe Down, with occasional flights from Bournemouth Airport.
Meanwhile, the A330 Voyager fleet will operate from Prestwick Airport, East Midlands Airport and Stansted Airport.
Aircraft usually based at RAF Brize Norton will start moving to their temporary locations in July, with an expected return in late November once the resurfacing work has been completed.
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RAF Brize Norton serves as the UK's main military air mobility hub, playing a crucial role in the movement of personnel, equipment, and humanitarian supplies worldwide.
The MoD states that the improvement works form part of a long-term investment in defence infrastructure, directly supporting the UK's capability to swiftly respond to emerging threats and crises globally.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) has been actively testing and refining its capacity to operate in a dispersed, agile manner across multiple locations through structured exercises, including Exercise Agile Warrior.
This approach enables the Air Mobility Force to maintain its operational tempo, even when work is ongoing at a single site.
The RAF doesn't rely on a single location to deliver its mission.
The MoD said: "We continue to assess the global security environment but the nature and timing of any potential crisis or conflict remains, by definition, uncertain.
“That is precisely why this programme of resilience-building, including the dispersal model being developed alongside this work, is so important.
“The airfield improvement works are part of a wider programme to modernise RAF Brize Norton, ensuring it continues to serve as a world-class hub for UK air mobility for decades to come.
“This is Defence delivering value for money through transformation and infrastructure investment.”
Rather than concentrating all air mobility capability in one spot, the RAF is actively developing the ability to operate from dispersed sites across the UK and overseas.
This dispersal model has been tested and refined through Exercise Agile Warrior 2026, ensuring that ongoing work at Brize Norton does not diminish the RAF's ability to respond to a crisis or conflict.
These modernisation efforts reflect a broader strategy to ensure the RAF remains responsive and effective, providing value for money through transformation and infrastructure investment.
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