RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, England. Its history dates back to 1917, with the Royal Flying Corps selecting the site during the First World War. Construction of the airfield for the Second World War began in 1940. It initially hosted Royal Australian Air Force and RAF Bomber Command units. In February 1942, it became a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) station, designated Station 107. The 15th Bombardment Squadron was the first USAAF unit, flying the first Eighth Air Force mission over German-occupied Europe from Molesworth on July 4, 1942. The 303rd Bombardment Group, flying Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, was stationed there from November 1942 until May 1945, conducting strategic bombardment missions over Germany and supporting ground operations. After World War II, the base was used by the RAF until 1951 when it became home to the USAF's 582d Air Resupply Group, which was later reorganized as the 42nd Troop Carrier Squadron before inactivation in 1957. The runway and flight line facilities were closed and demolished in 1973. In the early 1980s, new facilities were constructed to support Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) operations, making it one of two British bases to house these missiles. The 303d Tactical Missile Wing was activated in 1986, but the missiles were removed by October 1988 following the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Today, RAF Molesworth is a non-flying facility under the control of the United States Air Force. It is home to the United States European Command's Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe Analytic Center (JAC), the United States Africa Command's Intelligence and Knowledge Directorate-Molesworth (J2-M), and the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre (IFC). These units are garrisoned by elements of the 423rd Air Base Group. The base was a focus of anti-nuclear protests in the 1980s due to the cruise missile deployment. While a planned closure was announced in 2015, the Ministry of Defence stated in February 2019 that RAF Molesworth would be retained.