The Jaguars arrived at RAF Coltishall in 1974

The Jaguar squadron at the base will go by the end of 2006 as the overall RAF manpower requirement is reduced to about 41,000 by 2008.

Coltishall's station commander Group Captain Graham Wright told his troops about the move on Wednesday morning.

The base has been in the front line of Britain's defences since 1940.

Group Capt Wright said a lot of pride and loyalty was at stake when this sort of announcement was made but it was inevitable that changes would have to be made as the Jaguar force came to the end of its life.

Painful decisions

"I have spoken to the Chief of the Air Staff this morning and I understand that the decisions that have been made have not been made lightly - that they are painful decisions at all levels within the air force."

He said they now had to ensure that the Jaguar force and RAF Coltishall went out in a style appropriate to their history.

In April the Ministry of Defence said press reports claiming Coltishall was to close were "speculation".

But RAF Coltishall's future was in doubt after the MoD announced the new Eurofighters would not be based there.

Its Jaguars, the oldest of the RAF's frontline jets, arrived in 1974 and were known to be near the end of their working lives.

The closure, though not unexpected, will have a major effect, taking millions out of the local economy.

A quarter of the local primary schools are filled by the children of RAF personnel and many civilians in the area supply and work for the base.