Donna Nook Air Weapons Range is a Ministry of Defence air weapons range located in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England. The site, which includes a former airfield and radar station, was previously known as RAF Donna Nook. Military use of the area dates back to the First World War, when it served as a protection point against Zeppelin airships. A minor airfield was operational from 1936, used as a decoy until 1945, and served as a Relief Landing Ground for RAF North Coates. During the Second World War, No. 206 Squadron RAF was based there from August 1941 to July 1942. RAF Donna Nook also housed a Chain Home Extremely Low (CHEL) radar station from 1943 to 1945, which tracked low-flying intruders and German E-boats. The bombing range initially opened in 1926 with three targets, including one for night bombing practice. It closed in 1946 but reopened in 1976 following the closure of RAF Theddlethorpe. The range is currently operational and used by UK, USAFE, and NATO forces. Since 2008, it has been administered by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). The bombing range covers an area of 885 hectares on land and 3,200 hectares at sea. In 1981, a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron crashed into the North Sea during a strafing run at Donna Nook, resulting in the pilot's death. The site is also notable for being a 6.2-mile (10 km) nature reserve with a large seal habitat, managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, and is the only national nature reserve in the UK located on MOD land.
