Members of the Save RAF Leuchars campaign Residents Action Force Leuchars will present a petition to 10 Downing Street today which opposes any threat to the future of RAF Leuchars.
The petition, with over 7000 signatures from the area and backed by over 23,000 people on Facebook, will be handed over at No. 10 this afternoon.
The taskforce will also meet defence select committee chairman James Arbuthnott MP.
The group will include North East Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell, MSP Iain Smith, Leuchars Community Council chairwoman and Residents Action Force Leuchars vice-chairwoman Carroll Finnie, Fife Chamber of Commerce chief executive Allan Russell, Tay bridgehead councillors Tim Brett and Ron Caird and Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty.
SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson said it was “daft and dangerous” to scrap squadrons and close bases at such a time.
The recent strategic defence and security review (SDSR) by the UK Government spelled the end for RAF Kinloss in Moray, with the cancellation of the Nimrod contract.
The future is uncertain for RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, home to Tornado jets, and RAF Leuchars, which has Typhoons.
Tornado GR4 fast jets, which flew from RAF Marham in Norfolk, were involved in bombing raids over Libya last night.
Mr Robertson said the Libyan situation suggested there should be a rethink of the SDSR findings.
He said, “I think it does kind of underline the fact that the SDSR which was published in October last year has already been overtaken by events and the UK Government should seriously reconsider both its cancellation of some important assets but also think very long and hard about considering the closure of important bases like RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Leuchars in Scotland.
“If ever there was to be an argument against their closure we’ve had it in the last few days.”
He added, “It may be the case that in the first instance squadrons are flying from Marham; we understand, though, that jets from Lossiemouth have been relocated there.
“We should not lose sight of the fact that it is the Tornado fleet which is largely based at Lossiemouth that has the most experience in managing a no-fly zone.
“It kind of underlines the point that it’s daft and dangerous to be scrapping squadrons and closing bases from where they operate.”
Scottish Tory deputy leader Murdo Fraser said the previous Labour government had left a £30 billion black hole in the Ministry of Defence budget.
He said, “Even after the defence review has gone through and the changes that are proposed have been completed, the UK will still be the world’s fourth largest military power and we will still be a very significant player.”
Highland and Islands Labour MSP Dave Stewart said, “I have believed that the defence review was flawed from the day it was published, and the fact that even respected military figures are calling for it to be reopened is hugely significant.
“The case for keeping the Scottish airbases at Lossiemouth and Leuchars is simply unanswerable.
“Not only does Scotland have huge natural advantages the light, the geography and the people who have loyally served the RAF for years but now we see how rapidly events across the world can change.”