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Royal Air Force

January 11, 2023

"RAF" redirects here. For other uses, see RAF (disambiguation) and Royal Air Force (disambiguation).

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force.[3] It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).[4] Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time.[5] Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain.[6]

Royal Air Force
Founded1 April 1918; 104 years ago (1918-04-01)
Country
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size
Part ofBritish Armed Forces
Air Staff OfficesWhitehall, London
Motto(s)"Per Ardua ad Astra" (Latin)
(Through Adversity to the Stars)
MarchQuick: Royal Air Force March Past
Slow: Saeculum[2]
Websitewww.raf.mod.uk
Commanders
Commander in ChiefKing Charles III
Chief of the Air StaffAir Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston
Warrant Officer of the Royal Air ForceWarrant Officer Jake Alpert
Notable
commanders		Lord Trenchard
Lord Portal
Insignia
Logo
Roundel
Fin flash
Ensign
Aircraft flown
Attack
Fighter
Multirole helicopter
Trainer helicopter
Reconnaissance
Trainer
Transport
Tanker

The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence (MOD), which are to "provide the capabilities needed to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories, including against terrorism; to support the Government's foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security".[7] The RAF describes its mission statement as "... [to provide] an agile, adaptable and capable Air Force that, person for person, is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission".[8] The mission statement is supported by the RAF's definition of air power, which guides its strategy. Air power is defined as "the ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events".[9]

Today, the Royal Air Force maintains an operational fleet of various types of aircraft,[10] described by the RAF as being "leading-edge" in terms of technology.[11] This largely consists of fixed-wing aircraft, including those in the following roles: fighter and strike, airborne early warning and control, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR), signals intelligence (SIGINT), maritime patrol, air-to-air refuelling (AAR) and strategic & tactical transport. The majority of the RAF's rotary-wing aircraft form part of the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command in support of ground forces. Most of the RAF's aircraft and personnel are based in the UK, with many others serving on global operations (principally over Iraq and Syria) or at long-established overseas bases (Ascension Island, Cyprus, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands). Although the RAF is the principal British air power arm, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the British Army's Army Air Corps also operate armed aircraft.

History

Further information: List of Royal Air Force operations
Main article: History of the Royal Air Force

Origins

While the British were not the first to make use of heavier-than-air military aircraft, the RAF is the world's oldest independent air force: that is, the first air force to become independent of army or navy control.[12] The RAF was founded on 1 April 1918 (during World War I) by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), as recommended in a report prepared by Jan Smuts.[13] At that time it was the largest air force in the world.[13] Its headquarters was located in the former Hotel Cecil.[14]

After the war, the RAF was drastically cut and its inter-war years were relatively quiet. The RAF was put in charge of British military activity in Iraq, and carried out minor activities in other parts of the British Empire, including establishing bases to protect Singapore and Malaya.[15] The RAF's naval aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm, was founded in 1924 but handed over to Admiralty control on 24 May 1939.[16]

The RAF adopted the doctrine of strategic bombing, which led to the construction of long-range bombers and became its main bombing strategy in the Second World War.[17]

Second World War

Further information: Air warfare of World War II
 
A late-war version of the Spitfire, which played a major role in the Battle of Britain

The Royal Air Force underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War. Under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939, the air forces of British Commonwealth countries trained and formed "Article XV squadrons" for service with RAF formations. Many individual personnel from these countries, and exiles from occupied Europe, also served with RAF squadrons. By the end of the war the Royal Canadian Air Force had contributed more than 30 squadrons to serve in RAF formations, similarly, approximately a quarter of Bomber Command's personnel were Canadian.[18] Additionally, the Royal Australian Air Force represented around nine percent of all RAF personnel who served in the European and Mediterranean theatres.[19] During the Battle of Britain in 1940, the RAF defended the skies over Britain against the numerically superior German Luftwaffe. In what is perhaps the most prolonged and complicated air campaign in history, the Battle of Britain contributed significantly to the delay and subsequent indefinite postponement of Operation Sea Lion, Hitler's plans for an invasion of the UK. In the House of Commons on 20 August, prompted by the ongoing efforts of the RAF, Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech to the nation, where he said "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few".[20]

 
The Avro Lancaster heavy bomber was extensively used during the strategic bombing of Germany.

The largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany by Bomber Command. While RAF bombing of Germany began almost immediately upon the outbreak of war at first it was ineffectual; it was only later, particularly under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Harris, that these attacks became increasingly devastating, from early 1943 onward, as new technology and greater numbers of superior aircraft became available.[21] The RAF adopted night-time area bombing on German cities such as Hamburg and Dresden. Night time area bombing constituted the great bulk of the RAF's bombing campaign, mainly due to Harris, but it also developed precision bombing techniques for specific operations, such as the "Dambusters" raid by No. 617 Squadron,[22] or the Amiens prison raid known as Operation Jericho.[23]

Cold War era

Further information: Cold War
Main article: Structure of the Royal Air Force in 1989

Following victory in the Second World War, the RAF underwent significant re-organisation, as technological advances in air warfare saw the arrival of jet fighters and bombers. During the early stages of the Cold War, one of the first major operations undertaken by the RAF was the Berlin Airlift, codenamed Operation Plainfire. Between 26 June 1948 and the lifting of the Russian blockade of the city on 12 May 1949, the RAF provided 17% of the total supplies delivered, using Avro Yorks, Douglas Dakotas flying to Gatow Airport and Short Sunderlands flying to Lake Havel.[24]

 
The Handley Page Victor bomber was a strategic bomber of the RAF's V bomber force used to carry both conventional and nuclear bombs.

Before Britain developed its own nuclear weapons, the RAF was provided with American nuclear weapons under Project E. However, following the development of its own arsenal, the British Government elected on 16 February 1960 to share the country's nuclear deterrent between the RAF and submarines of the Royal Navy, first deciding to concentrate solely on the air force's V bomber fleet. These were initially armed with nuclear gravity bombs, later being equipped with the Blue Steel missile. Following the development of the Royal Navy's Polaris submarines, the strategic nuclear deterrent passed to the navy's submarines on 30 June 1969.[25] With the introduction of Polaris, the RAF's strategic nuclear role was reduced to a tactical one, using WE.177 gravity bombs. This tactical role was continued by the V bombers into the 1980s and until 1998 by the Panavia Tornado GR1.[26][27]

 
The Avro Vulcan was a strategic bomber used during the Cold War to carry conventional and nuclear bombs.

For much of the Cold War the primary role of the RAF was the defence of Western Europe against potential attack by the Soviet Union, with many squadrons based in West Germany. The main RAF bases in RAF(G) were RAF Brüggen, RAF Gutersloh, RAF Laarbruch and RAF Wildenrath – the only air defence base in RAF(G). With the decline of the British Empire, global operations were scaled back, and RAF Far East Air Force was disbanded on 31 October 1971.[28] Despite this, the RAF fought in many battles in the Cold War period. In June 1948 the RAF commenced Operation Firedog against Malayan pro-independence fighters during the Malayan Emergency.[29] Operations continued for the next 12 years until 1960 with aircraft flying out of RAF Tengah and RAF Butterworth. The RAF played a minor role in the Korean War, with flying boats taking part.[30] From 1953 to 1956 the RAF Avro Lincoln squadrons carried out anti-Mau Mau operations in Kenya using its base at RAF Eastleigh.[31] The Suez Crisis in 1956 saw a large RAF role, with aircraft operating from RAF Akrotiri and RAF Nicosia on Cyprus and RAF Luqa and RAF Hal Far on Malta as part of Operation Musketeer.[32] The RAF suffered its most recent loss to an enemy aircraft during the Suez Crisis, when an English Electric Canberra PR7 was shot down over Syria.[33]

 
RAF Shackleton flying in formation in 1957 during the Jebel Akhdar War in Oman

In 1957, the RAF participated heavily during the Jebel Akhdar War in Oman, operating both de Havilland Venom and Avro Shackleton aircraft. The RAF made 1,635 raids, dropping 1,094 tons and firing 900 rockets at the interior of Oman between July and December 1958, targeting insurgents, mountain top villages and water channels in a war that remained under low profile.[34][35] The Konfrontasi against Indonesia in the early 1960s did see use of RAF aircraft, but due to a combination of deft diplomacy and selective ignoring of certain events by both sides, it never developed into a full-scale war.[36]

One of the largest actions undertaken by the RAF during the Cold War was the air campaign during the 1982 Falklands War, in which the RAF operated alongside the Fleet Air Arm. During the war, RAF aircraft were deployed in the mid-Atlantic at RAF Ascension Island and a detachment from No. 1 Squadron was deployed with the Royal Navy, operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.[37][38] RAF pilots also flew missions using the Royal Navy's Sea Harriers in the air-to-air combat role, in particular Flight Lieutenant Dave Morgan the highest scoring pilot of the war.[39] Following a British victory, the RAF remained in the South Atlantic to provide air defence to the Falkland Islands, with the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 based at RAF Mount Pleasant which was built in 1984.[40]

Post-Cold War

 
Tornado pilot

With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the RAF's focus returned to expeditionary air power.[41] Since 1990, the RAF has been involved in several large-scale operations, including the 1991 Gulf War,[42] the 1999 Kosovo War,[43] the 2001 War in Afghanistan,[44] the 2003 invasion and war in Iraq[45] and the 2011 intervention in Libya.[46]

 
Typhoons and Red Arrows flypast for the 90th Anniversary of the RAF, 2008

The RAF's 90th anniversary was commemorated on 1 April 2008 by a flypast of the RAF's Aerobatic Display Team the Red Arrows and four Eurofighter Typhoons along the River Thames, in a straight line from just south of London City Airport Tower Bridge, the London Eye, the RAF Memorial and (at 13.00) the Ministry of Defence building.[47][48][49]

Four major defence reviews have been conducted since the end of the Cold War: the 1990 Options for Change, the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, the 2003 Delivering Security in a Changing World and the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). All four defence reviews have resulted in steady reductions in manpower and numbers of aircraft, especially combat aircraft such as fast-jets. As part of the latest 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft was cancelled due to over spending and missing deadlines.[50] Other reductions saw total manpower reduced by 5,000 personnel to a trained strength of 33,000 and the early retirement of the Joint Force Harrier aircraft, the BAE Harrier GR7/GR9.[51]

In recent years, fighter aircraft on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) have been increasingly required to scramble in response to Russian Air Force aircraft approaching British airspace.[52] On 24 January 2014, in the Houses of Parliament, Conservative MP and Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Andrew Robathan, announced that the RAF's QRA force had been scrambled almost thirty times in the last three years: eleven times during 2010, ten times during 2011 and eight times during 2012.[53]

 
A Typhoon on QRA intercepts a Russian Tupolev Tu-95 bomber approaching UK airspace[54]

RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and RAF Lossiemouth in Moray both provide QRA aircraft, and scramble their Typhoons within minutes to meet or intercept aircraft which give cause for concern. Lossiemouth generally covers the northern sector of UK airspace, while Coningsby covers the southern sector. Typhoon pilot Flight Lieutenant Noel Rees describes how QRA duty works. "At the start of the scaled QRA response, civilian air traffic controllers might see on their screens an aircraft behaving erratically, not responding to their radio calls, or note that it's transmitting a distress signal through its transponder. Rather than scramble Typhoons at the first hint of something abnormal, a controller has the option to put them on a higher level of alert, 'a call to cockpit'. In this scenario the pilot races to the hardened aircraft shelter and does everything short of starting his engines".[55]

On 4 October 2015, a final stand-down saw the end of more than 70 years of RAF Search and Rescue provision in the UK. The RAF and Royal Navy's Westland Sea King fleets, after over 30 years of service, were retired. A civilian contractor, Bristow Helicopters, took over responsibility for UK Search and Rescue, under a Private Finance Initiative with newly purchased Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland AW189 aircraft. The new contract means that all UK SAR coverage is now provided by Bristow aircraft.[56]

In 2018, the RAF's vision of a future constellation of imagery satellites was initiated through the launch of the Carbonite-2 technology demonstrator. The 100 kg Carbonite-2 uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components to deliver high-quality imagery and 3D video footage from space.[57][58]

From March 2020, as part of Operation Rescript, the RAF has been assisting with the response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. This has seen the service provide repatriation flights and aeromedical evacuations of COVID-19 patients, drivers and call-handlers to support ambulance services and medics to assist with the staffing of hospitals, testing units and vaccination centres.[59][60] Under Operation Broadshare, the RAF has also been involved with COVID-19 relief operations overseas, repatriating stranded nationals and delivering medical supplies and vaccines to British Overseas Territories and military installations.[61]

Structure

Main article: Structure of the Royal Air Force

Senior management

The professional head and highest-ranking officer of the Royal Air Force is the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). He reports to the Chief of the Defence Staff, who is the professional head of the British Armed Forces.[62] The incumbent Chief of the Air Staff is Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, who was appointed in July 2019.[63]

The management of the RAF is the responsibility of the Air Force Board, a sub-committee of the Defence Council which is part of the Ministry of Defence and body legally responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The Chief of the Air Staff chairs the Air Force Board Standing Committee (AFBSC) which decides on the policy and actions required for the RAF to meet the requirements of the Defence Council and His Majesty's Government.[64]

The Chief of the Air Staff is supported by several other senior commanders; the main positions are shown in the following table.[65]

Royal Air Force senior management positions
Title Rank NATO rank
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal OF-9
Deputy Commander Capability Air Marshal OF-8
Deputy Commander of Operations Air Marshal OF-8
Air Officer Northern Ireland Air Marshal OF-8
Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Vice-Marshal OF-7
Air Officer Scotland Air Vice-Marshal OF-7
Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans) Air Vice-Marshal OF-7
Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary Air Vice-Marshal OF-7
Commandant General Royal Auxiliary Air Force Air Vice-Marshal OF-7
Director of Legal Services Air Vice-Marshal OF-7
Air Member for Materiel and Chief of Materiel Vice Admiral OF-8[66]
Chaplain-in-Chief Air Vice-Marshal OF-7
Air Officer Wales Air Commodore OF-6
Director of Resources Civilian
Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force Warrant Officer OR-9

Air Command

Administrative and operational command of the RAF is delegated by the Air Force Board to Headquarters Air Command, based at RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. Air Command was formed on 1 April 2007 by combining RAF Strike Command and RAF Personnel and Training Command, resulting in a single command covering the whole RAF, led by the Chief of the Air Staff.[67] Through its subordinate groups, Air Command oversees the whole spectrum of RAF aircraft and operations.[68]

United Kingdom Space Command (UKSC), established 1 April 2021 under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey is a joint command, but sits "under the Royal Air Force."[69] Godfrey is of equal rank to the commanders of 1, 2, 11, and 22 Groups. The new command has "responsibility for not just operations, but also generating, training and growing the force, and also owning the money and putting all the programmatic rigour into delivering new ..capabilities."[69] UKSC headquarters is at RAF High Wycombe co-located with Air Command.[70]

Groups

Main article: List of Royal Air Force groups

Groups are the subdivisions of operational commands and are responsible for certain types of capabilities or for operations in limited geographical areas. There are five groups subordinate to Air Command, of which four are functional and one is geographically focused:

No. 1 Group (Air Combat)

No. 1 Group is responsible for combat aircraft (comprising the Lightning Force and Typhoon Force) and the RAF's intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities. It oversees stations at RAF Coningsby and RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and RAF Marham in Norfolk. The group's Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 aircraft protect UK and NATO airspace by providing a continuous Quick Reaction Alert capability.[71]

No. 2 Group (Air Combat Support)

No. 2 Group controls the Air Mobility Force which provides strategic and tactical airlift, air-to-air refuelling and Command Support Air Transport. The group is also responsible for the RAF's Force Protection assets comprising the RAF Regiment and RAF Police. It oversees stations at RAF Benson and RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire, RAF Honington in Suffolk, RAF Odiham in Hampshire and RAF Northolt in West London.[72]

No. 11 Group (Multi-domain operations)

No. 11 Group is responsible for integrating operations across the air, cyber and space domains whilst responding to new and evolving threats. It includes the RAF's Battlespace Management Force which controls the UK Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS). The group oversees stations at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland, RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire, RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria.[73]

No. 22 Group (Training)

No. 22 Group is responsible for the supply of qualified and skilled personnel to the RAF and provides flying and non-flying training to all three British armed services. It is the end-user of the UK Military Flying Training System which is provided by civilian contractor Ascent Flight Training. The group oversees stations at RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire, RAF Cosford and RAF Shawbury in Shropshire, RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire, MOD St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall and RAF Valley on Angelsey.[74] The No. 22 Group also manages the Royal Air Force Air Cadets.[75]

No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group

No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (No. 83 EAG) is the RAF's operational headquarters in the Middle East, based at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. It is responsible for UK air operations in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean (Operation Kipion), the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Operation Shader) and wider UK defence objectives in the Middle East. Operations are delivered through four Expeditionary Air Wings (No. 901 EAW, No. 902 EAW, No. 903 EAW and No. 904 EAW).[76]

Stations

See also: List of Royal Air Force stations and List of former Royal Air Force stations
 
 
Cranwell & Barkston Heath
 
Benson
 
Boulmer
 
Brize Norton
 
Coningsby
 
Cosford
 
 
Fylingdales
 
Halton
 
Henlow
 
Honington
 
Leeming
 
Lossiemouth
 
Marham
 
Northolt
 
Odiham
 
Scampton
 
Shawbury
 
St. Mawgan
 
Valley
 
Waddington
 
Wittering
 
Woodvale
 
Wyton
class=notpageimage|
Map of the Royal Air Force's main stations.
  Front-line flying station   Training station   Battlespace management
  Support station

An RAF station is ordinarily subordinate to a group and is commanded by a group captain. Each station typically hosts several flying and non-flying squadrons or units which are supported by administrative and support wings.[77]

United Kingdom

Front-line flying operations are focussed at eight stations:[78]

Flying training takes places at RAF Barkston Heath, RAF College Cranwell, RAF Shawbury and RAF Valley, each forming part of the UK Military Flying Training System which is dedicated to training aircrew for all three UK armed services. Specialist ground crew training is focused at RAF Cosford, RAF St Mawgan and MOD St. Athan.

Operations are supported by numerous other flying and non-flying stations, with activity focussed at RAF Honington which coordinates Force Protection and RAF Leeming & RAF Wittering which have a support enabler role.

A Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) at RAF Boulmer is tasked with compiling a Recognised Air Picture of UK air space and providing tactical control of the Quick Reaction Alert Force. In order to achieve this Boulmer is supported by a network of eight Remote Radar Heads (RRHs) spread the length of the UK.[79]

Overseas

The UK operates permanent military airfields (known as Permanent Joint Operating Bases) in four British Overseas Territories. These bases contribute to the physical defence and maintenance of sovereignty of the British Overseas Territories and enable the UK to conduct expeditionary military operations.[80] Although command and oversight of the bases is provided by Strategic Command, the airfield elements are known as RAF stations.[81]

Three RAF squadrons are based overseas. No. 84 Squadron is located at RAF Akrotiri, operating the Griffin HAR.2 for search and rescue.[82] No. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron and No. 39 Squadron are located within the United States to support close cooperation with the U.S. Air Force in the development of the F-35B Lightning (Edwards Air Force Base, California) and the operation of the MQ-9A Reaper (Creech Air Force Base, Nevada) respectively.[83]

Squadrons

Main article: List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

A flying squadron is an aircraft unit which carries out the primary tasks of the RAF. RAF squadrons are somewhat analogous to the regiments of the British Army in that they have histories and traditions going back to their formation, regardless of where they are based or which aircraft they are operating. They can be awarded standards and battle honours for meritorious service. Most flying squadrons are commanded by a wing commander and, for a fast-jet squadron, have an establishment of around twelve aircraft.[84]

Flights

See also: List of Royal Air Force aircraft independent flights
 
RAF Mount Pleasant, home to No. 1435 Flight providing air defence for the Falkland Islands.

Independent flights are so designated because they are explicitly smaller in size than a squadron. Many independent flights are, or have been, front-line flying units. For example, No. 1435 Flight carries out air defence duties for the Falkland Islands, with four Eurofighter Typhoon fighters based at RAF Mount Pleasant.[85]

Support wings and units

See also: List of wings of the Royal Air Force and List of Royal Air Force units & establishments

Support capabilities are provided by several specialist wings and other units.

Expeditionary Air Wings

Main article: Expeditionary Air Wing

Command, control, and support for overseas operations is typically provided through Expeditionary Air Wings (EAWs). Each wing is brought together as and when required and comprises the deployable elements of its home station as well as other support elements from throughout the RAF.[86]

Several Expeditionary Air Wings are based overseas:[76]

Training schools

Main article: List of Royal Air Force schools

Flying training

The RAF Schools consist of the squadrons and support apparatus that train new aircrew to join front-line squadrons. The schools separate individual streams, but group together units with similar responsibility or that operate the same aircraft type. Some schools operate with only one squadron, and have an overall training throughput which is relatively small; some, like No. 3 Flying Training School, have responsibility for all Elementary Flying Training (EFT) in the RAF, and all RAF aircrew will pass through its squadrons when they start their flying careers. No. 2 Flying Training School and No. 6 Flying Training School do not have a front-line training responsibility – their job is to group the University Air Squadrons and the Volunteer Gliding Squadrons together. The commanding officer of No. 2 FTS holds the only full-time flying appointment for a Group Captain in the RAF, and is a reservist.

Non-flying training

 
Jaguar aircraft used for training by No.1 School of Technical Training at RAF Cosford

The British military operate a number of joint training organisations, with Air Command leading the provision of technical training through the Defence College of Technical Training (DCTT).[98] It provides training in aeronautical engineering, electro and mechanical engineering, and communication and information systems.[99]

  • No. 1 School of Technical Training is based at RAF Cosford and provides RAF personnel with mechanical, avionics, weapons and survival equipment training. Also based at Cosford is the Aerosystems Engineer and Management Training School. Both are part of the Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering.[100]
  • No. 4 School of Technical Training is part of the Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering (DSEME) and is based at MOD St Athan. It provides training to non-aircraft ground engineering technicians.[101]
  • No. 1 Radio School and the Aerial Erectors School are based at Cosford and RAF Digby respectively and are part of the Defence School of Communications and Information Systems.[102]

Specialist training and education

The Royal Air Force operates several units and centres for the provision of non-generic training and education. These include the Royal Air Force Leadership Centre and the RAF Centre for Air Power Studies, both based at RAF Cranwell,[103] and the Air Warfare Centre, based at RAF Waddington and RAF Cranwell.[104] Non-commissioned officer training and developmental courses occur at RAF Halton and officer courses occur at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham.[105]

Personnel

See also: List of Royal Air Force personnel and List of comparative military ranks
 
Members of the RAF Regiment on parade, 2013

At its height in 1944 during the Second World War, more than 1,100,000 personnel were serving in the RAF. The longest-lived founding member of the RAF was Henry Allingham, who died on 18 July 2009 aged 113.[106]

As of 1 January 2015, the RAF numbered some 34,200 Regular[107] and 1,940 Royal Auxiliary Air Force[108] personnel, giving a combined component strength of 36,140 personnel. In addition to the active elements of the RAF, (Regular and Royal Auxiliary Air Force), all ex-Regular personnel remain liable to be recalled for duty in a time of need, this is known as the Regular Reserve. In 2007, there were 33,980 RAF Regular Reserves, of which 7,950 served under a fixed-term reserve contract.[109] Publications since April 2013 no-longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead they only give a figure for Regular Reserves who serve under a fixed-term reserve contract.[110] They had a strength of 7,120 personnel in 2014.[111]

Figures provided by the International Institute for Strategic Studies from 2012 showed that RAF pilots achieve a relatively high number of flying hours per year when compared with other major NATO allies such as France and Germany. RAF pilots achieve 210 to 290 flying hours per year.[112] French and German Air Force pilots achieved 180 and 150 flying hours across their fleets respectively.[113]

Officers

 
King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and Princess Elizabeth with RAF personnel during World War II

Officers hold a commission from the Sovereign, which provides the legal authority for them to issue orders to subordinates. The commission of a regular officer is granted after successfully completing the 24-week-long Initial Officer Training course at the RAF College, Cranwell, Lincolnshire.[114]

To emphasise the merger of both military and naval aviation when the RAF was formed, many of the titles of officers were deliberately chosen to be of a naval character, such as flight lieutenant, wing commander, group captain, and air commodore.[115]

Other ranks

Other ranks attend the Recruit Training Squadron at RAF Halton for basic training.[116] The titles and insignia of other ranks in the RAF were based on that of the Army, with some alterations in terminology. Over the years, this structure has seen significant changes: for example, there was once a separate system for those in technical trades, and the ranks of chief technician and junior technician continue to be held only by personnel in technical trades. RAF other ranks fall into four categories: Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, Junior Non-Commissioned Officers and Airmen. All Warrant Officers in the RAF are equal in terms of rank, but the most senior Non-Commissioned appointment is known as the Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force.[117]

Ranks

Main articles: RAF officer ranks and RAF other ranks
Royal Air Force officer rank insignia
NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D)
  United Kingdom Epaulette rank insignia (view)                        
Rank Title: Marshal of the Royal Air Force Air chief marshal Air marshal Air vice-marshal Air commodore Group captain Wing commander Squadron leader Flight lieutenant Flying officer Pilot officer/ acting pilot officer Officer cadet
Abbreviation: MRAF[note 2] Air Chf Mshl Air Mshl AVM Air Cdre Gp Capt Wg Cdr Sqn Ldr Flt Lt Fg Off Plt Off Off Cdt
Royal Air Force other rank insignia
NATO rank code OR-9 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
  United Kingdom Rank Insignia                     No insignia
Rank Title:[118] Warrant Officer Flight Sergeant Chief Technician Sergeant Corporal Lance Corporal
RAF
Regiment 		Air Specialist (Class 1) Technician Air Specialist (Class 1) Air Specialist (Class 2) Air Recruit
Abbreviation: WO FS Chf Tech Sgt Cpl L/Cpl AS1(T) AS1 AS2 AR
  Aircrew Rank Insignia       No equivalent
Rank Title: RAF Master Aircrew RAF Flight Sergeant Aircrew RAF Sergeant Aircrew

Aircraft

Further information: List of aircraft of the RAF and List of active United Kingdom military aircraft

Combat air

Typhoon

 
Typhoon FGR4 ZK330 'EZ' of No. 6 Squadron

The Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 is the RAF's primary multi-role air defence and ground attack fighter aircraft,[119][120] following the retirement of the Panavia Tornado F3 in late March 2011.[121] With the completion of 'Project Centurion' upgrades, the Typhoon FGR4 took over ground attack duties from the Panavia Tornado GR4, which was retired on 1 April 2019.[122][123][124] The Typhoon is tasked to defend UK airspace, while also frequently deploying in support of NATO air defence missions in the Baltic (Operation Azotize), Black Sea (Operation Biloxi), and Iceland.[119][125]

The RAF has seven front-line Typhoon squadrons, plus an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), and Operational Evaluation Unit (OEU); No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, No. XI (Fighter) Squadron, No. 12 Squadron (joint RAF / Qatar Air Force), No. 29 Squadron (OCU), and No. 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron (OEU) based at RAF Coningsby; with No. 1 (F) Squadron, No. II (Army Cooperation) Squadron, No. 6 Squadron, and No. IX (Bomber) Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth.[119][126] Additionally, four Typhoons (Faith, Hope, Charity, and Desperation) are based at RAF Mount Pleasant on the Falkland Islands, forming No. 1435 Flight, where they provide air defence.[127] It was originally suggested that an eighth front-line Typhoon squadron could be formed,[128] however, the 2021 Defence Command Paper announced the retirement of 24 Tranche 1 Typhoons by 2025, and a commitment to seven front-line squadrons.[129][130]

The Typhoon made its combat debut in support of Operation Ellamy in 2011, and has been supporting Operation Shader since December 2015.[119]

Lightning

The Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft. It is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions while also providing electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. It will be jointly operated by the RAF and the Royal Navy and with its ability to perform short take-offs and vertical-landings (STOVL), can operate from the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.[131] Originally a total of 138 Lightnings were planned,[132][133][134] however the 2021 Defence Command Paper amended this to a commitment to increase the fleet beyond the current order of 48.[129] By October 2021, 24 F-35Bs had been delivered to the RAF[135] (though one crashed in November 2021).[136]

The first RAF squadron to operate the F-35B was No. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards AFB, California, accepting its first aircraft in 2014.[137] No. 617 (The Dambusters) Squadron officially reformed on 18 April 2018 as the first operational RAF Lightning squadron.[138] The first four aircraft arrived at RAF Marham from the United States in June 2018,[139] with a further five arriving in August 2018.[140] The Lightning was declared combat ready in January 2019.[141] The second UK based F-35B squadron to be formed was No. 207 Squadron on 1 August 2019 as the OCU for both RAF and Royal Navy pilots.[142][143]

Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR)

Six Hawker Beechcraft Shadow R1s (with two more to be converted) are operated by No. 14 Squadron from RAF Waddington, these aircraft are King Air 350CERs that have been specially converted for the ISTAR role.[144] Four Shadow R1s were originally ordered in 2007 due to an Urgent Operational Requirement,[145] and began the conversion process to the ISTAR role in 2009.[146] ZZ416 was the first Shadow R1 to be delivered in May 2009 to No. V (AC) Squadron.[147] A further Shadow was procured and delivered in December 2011.[148] The Shadow fleet was transferred over to the newly reformed No. 14 Squadron in October 2011.[149] Following the 2015 SDSR, three more Shadows were ordered and the fleet was given an OSD of 2030.[150]

Ten General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles have been purchased to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are operated by No. 39 Squadron based at Creech Air Force Base and No. XIII Squadron at RAF Waddington.[151]

Three Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joints (also known in RAF service as Airseeker) replaced the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R1 fleet in the signals intelligence role under the Airseeker Programme and are flown by No. 51 Squadron.[152] The Nimrod fleet was retired in 2011, the RAF co-manned aircraft of the US Air Force until the three RC-135s entered service between 2014 and 2017.[153] The aircraft were Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker tankers converted to RC-135W standard in the most complex combined Foreign Military Sales case and co-operative support arrangement that the UK had undertaken with the United States Air Force since the Second World War.[154] The Rivet Joint received its first operational deployment in August 2014, when it was deployed to the Middle East to fly missions over Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Shader.[155] The RC-135W's OSD is 2035.[156]

Based at RAF Waddington, No. 54 Squadron and No. 56 Squadron act as the OCU and OEU for the ISTAR fleet respectively.[157][158]

Maritime patrol

Nine Boeing Poseidon MRA1[159] were ordered by the Government in November 2015 in its Strategic Defence and Security Review for surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare, filling a capability gap in maritime patrol that had been left since the cancellation of the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 programme in the 2010 SDSR.[160] On 13 July 2017, it was announced that No. 120 Squadron and No. 201 Squadron, both former Nimrod MR2 squadrons, would operate the Poseidon and be based at RAF Lossiemouth.[161] No. 120 Squadron stood up on 1 April 2018,[161] with No. 201 Squadron reforming on 7 August 2021.[162] No. 54 Squadron acts as the OCU for the Poseidon fleet.[163]

The first production Poseidon MRA1 ZP801 made its initial flight on 13 July 2019.[164] ZP801 arrived at Kinloss Barracks, the former home of the Nimrod, on 4 February 2020, filling a decade long gap in maritime capability.[165] The Poseidon was declared combat ready in April 2020.[166] The Poseidon carried out its first operational mission on 3 August 2020, when the Russian warship Vasily Bykov was tracked.[167] A Poseidon MRA1 arrived at RAF Lossiemouth for the first time in October 2020.[163] The ninth, and final Poseidon arrived at RAF Lossiemouth on 11 January 2022.[168]

Air mobility

Further information: AirTanker Services

No. 99 Squadron operate eight Boeing C-17A Globemaster III in the heavy strategic airlift role from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. Four C-17A were originally leased from Boeing in 2000,[169] These four were subsequently purchased outright,[170] followed by a fifth delivered on 7 April 2008 and a sixth delivered on 11 June 2008.[171] The MOD said there was "a stated departmental requirement for eight" C-17s and a seventh was subsequently ordered, to be delivered in December 2010.[172] In February 2012 the purchase of an eighth C-17 was confirmed;[173] the aircraft arrived at RAF Brize Norton in May 2012.[174]

Shorter range, tactical-airlift transport is provided by the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, known as the Hercules C4 (C-130J-30) and Hercules C5 (C-130J) in RAF service, based at RAF Brize Norton and flown by No. 47 Squadron.[175] Twenty-five C-130Js were originally ordered in December 1994 (15 C4s and ten C5s),[176] the first Hercules C4 to be delivered was ZH865 in August 1998,[177] with the first Hercules C5 (ZH881) in May 1999.[178] The 2010 SDSR called for the retirement of the Hercules fleet by 2022,[179] with the 2015 SDSR amending this to maintaining the fourteen Hercules C4s until 2030.[150] The draw-down of the Hercules C5 fleet began in 2016, with two left in service by December 2020.[180] The fourteen C4 extended variants were scheduled to retire on 31 March 2035. However, due to the crash of Hercules C4 ZH873 in August 2017,[181] one Hercules C5 was retained to keep the fleet at 14 aircraft.[182] The 2021 Defence Command Paper brought forward the retirement of the Hercules fleet to 2023.[129]

The Airbus Atlas C1 (A400M) replaced the RAF's fleet of Hercules C1/C3 (C-130K) which were withdrawn from use on 28 October 2013, having originally entered service in 1967.[176] Based at RAF Brize Norton, the Atlas fleet is operated by No. 30 Squadron and No. LXX Squadron.[183] The first Atlas C1 (ZM400) was delivered to the RAF in November 2014.[184] The A400M is also expected to replace the C4/C5 variants. Originally, twenty-five A400Ms were ordered; the total purchase has now dropped to twenty-two.[185][186]

No. XXIV Squadron acts as the Air Mobility OCU (AMOCU) for the Globemaster, Hercules and Atlas,[187] while No. 206 Squadron is the OEU.[188]

Air transport tasks are also carried out by the Airbus Voyager KC2/3, flown by No. 10 Squadron and No. 101 Squadron.[189] The first Voyager (ZZ330) arrived in the UK for testing at MOD Boscombe Down in April 2011,[190] and entered service in April 2012.[191] The Voyager received approval from the MOD on 16 May 2013 to begin air-to-air refuelling flights and made its first operational tanker flight on 20 May 2013 as part of a training sortie with Tornado GR4s. By 21 May 2013, the Voyager fleet had carried over 50,000 passengers and carried over 3,000 tons of cargo.[192] A total of fourteen Voyagers form the fleet, with nine allocated to sole RAF use (three KC2s and six KC3s).[193] As the Voyagers lack a refuelling boom, the RAF has requested a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the USAF allowing the UK access to tankers equipped with refuelling booms for its RC-135W Rivet Joint .[194]

Helicopters

RAF helicopters support the British Army by moving troops and equipment to and around the battlefield. Helicopters are also used in a variety of other roles, including in support of RAF ground units and heavy-lift support for the Royal Marines. The support helicopters are organised into the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), along with helicopters from the British Army and Royal Navy.[195] No. 22 Squadron, based at RAF Benson, re-formed in May 2020 as the OEU for JHC.[196]

The large twin-rotor Boeing Chinook is the RAF's heavy-lift support helicopter.[197] Originally ordered in 1978,[198] with subsequent orders in 1995,[199] 2011,[200] and 2018 (yet to be finalised),[201] the Chinook is operated by No. 7 Squadron, No. 18(B) Squadron and No. 27 Squadron at RAF Odiham and No. 28 Squadron (Support Helicopter OCU) at RAF Benson.[202] Since being first delivered in 1980,[203] the Chinook has been involved in numerous operations: the Falklands War (1982); Operation Granby (1991); Operation Engadine (1999); Operation Barras (2000); Operation Herrick (2002–2014); Operation Telic (2003–2011); Operation Ruman (2017); and Operation Newcombe (2018–present).[202][204][205][206] The 60-strong fleet of Chinooks currently has an OSD in the 2040s.[207][208]

The Westland Puma HC2 is the RAF's Medium-lift support helicopter. It is operated by No. 33 Squadron and No. 230 Squadron,[209] as well as by No. 28 Squadron (Support Helicopter OCU), all of which are based at RAF Benson.[210] The first two Puma HC1s (XW198 and XW199), of an eventual forty-eight, were delivered in January 1971,[211] which were supplemented by a captured Argentine Army SA 330J in 2001 and six ex-South African Air Force SA 330Ls in 2002.[212][213] Twenty-four Puma HC1s underwent upgrades to HC2 standard between 2012 and 2014.[214] The Puma HC2 OSD is currently March 2025.[215]

Three Bell Griffin HAR2 are operated by No. 84 Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri in the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas.[82] They are the RAF's only dedicated search and rescue helicopter since the disbandment of the RAF Search and Rescue Force in February 2016.[216] However, all UK military helicopter aircrew routinely train and practise the skills necessary for search and rescue, and the support helicopters based in the UK are available to the Government under Military Aid to the Civil Authorities.[217]

The AgustaWestland AW109 Grand New of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron based at RAF Northolt provides the VIP transport Command Support Air Transport role.[218]

Training aircraft

Main article: UK Military Flying Training System

The UK's military flying training has been privatised through a public-private partnership, known as the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS). Training is provided by Ascent Flight Training, a consortium of Lockheed Martin and Babcock International.[219] New aircraft were procured to reduce the training gap between the older generation Grob Tutor T1, Short Tucano T1 and Beechcraft King Air T1 aircraft, and the RAF's modern front-line aircraft, including advanced systems and glass cockpits. UKMFTS also relies far more on synthetic training to prepare aircrew for the front line, where advanced synthetic training is commonplace.[220]

Initial training

The Grob Tutor T1 equips fifteen University Air Squadrons, which provide university students an opportunity to undertake an RAF training syllabus, which includes first solo, as well as air navigation, aerobatics and formation flying. These units are co-located with Air Experience Flights, which share the same aircraft and facilities and provide air experience flying to the Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force. The Tutor is also flown by No. 16 Squadron and No. 115 Squadron based at RAF Wittering.[221]

Volunteer Gliding Squadrons also provide air experience flying to cadets using the Grob Viking T1 conventional glider. Due to an airworthiness issue in April 2014, the Viking fleet and the Grob Vigilant T1 fleet were grounded for a two-year period, although Viking operations have subsequently resumed.[222] The Vigilant was unexpectedly withdrawn from service in May 2018, a year earlier than planned. A contract tender was initiated in February 2018 to replace this capability from 2022 onwards.[223]

Elementary training

The Grob Prefect T1 was introduced to RAF service in 2016 as its elementary trainer. The 23-strong fleet is based at RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath in Lincolnshire where they are operated by No. 57 Squadron. On completion of elementary training, aircrew are then streamed to either fast jet, multi-engine, or rotary training.[224]

Basic fast jet training

Basic fast jet training is provided on the Beechcraft Texan T1, which replaced the Short Tucano T1 in November 2019. The Texan is a tandem-seat turboprop aircraft, featuring a digital glass cockpit. It is operated by No. 72 (F) Squadron based at RAF Valley in Anglesey which provides lead-in training for RAF and Royal Navy fighter pilots prior to advanced training on the BAE Hawk T2. The first two Texans were delivered in February 2018 and by December 2018 ten aircraft had arrived at RAF Valley.[225][226] Four additional Texans were delivered on 3 November 2020.[227]

Advanced fast jet training

The BAE Hawk T2 is flown by No. IV (AC) Squadron and No. XXV (F) Squadron based at RAF Valley. The latter provides initial Advanced Fast Jet Training (AFJT), while pilots who graduate on to the former squadron learn tactical and weapons training.[228] After advanced training aircrew go on to an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) where they are trained to fly either the Typhoon FGR4 (No. 29 Squadron at RAF Coningsby) or F-35B Lightning (No. 207 Squadron at RAF Marham) in preparation for service with a front-line squadron. The OCUs use operational aircraft alongside simulators and ground training, although in the case of the Typhoon a two-seater training variant exists which is designated the Typhoon T3.[229]

On 15 October 2020, it was announced a joint RAF-Qatari Air Force Hawk squadron (similar to No. 12 Squadron) would be formed in the future.[230] On 1 April 2021, it was further elaborated that this squadron would stand-up in September 2021 at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire.[231] The Joint Hawk Training Squadron received its first two Hawk Mk.167s at RAF Leeming on 1 September 2021.[232] On 24 November 2021, the Joint Hawk Training Squadron became 11 Squadron QEAF when it reformed at RAF Leeming.[233]

Multi-engine training

Multi-Engine aircrew, weapon systems officer (WSO) and weapon systems operator (WSOp) students are trained on the Embraer Phenom T1. It is operated by No. 45 Squadron based at RAF Cranwell. Multi-engine aircrew then go to their Operational Conversion Unit or front-line squadron.[234]

Rotary

No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS) (formerly the Defence Helicopter Flying School) is based at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire and provides basic helicopter pilot training for all UK armed forces. It flies twenty-nine Airbus Juno HT1. No. 1 FTS comprises two main elements, 2 Maritime Air Wing (2 MAW) and No. 9 Regiment.[235] 2 MAW includes No. 660 Squadron of the Army Air Corps (AAC) and 705 Naval Air Squadron and provide basic helicopter flying training. No. 9 Regiment comprises No. 60 Squadron of the RAF and No. 670 Squadron of the AAC in the advanced helicopter flying training. No. 202 Squadron is also part of No. 1 FTS and operates the Airbus Jupiter HT1 at RAF Valley.[236]

Future aircraft

See also: Future of the Royal Air Force

On 5 October 2015, it was announced that the Scavenger programme had been replaced by "Protector", a new requirement for at least 20 unmanned aerial vehicles.[237] On 7 October 2015, it was revealed that Protector will be a certifiable derivative of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian with enhanced range and endurance.[238] In 2016, it was indicated that at least sixteen aircraft would be purchased with a maximum of up to twenty-six.[239] In July 2018, a General Atomics US civil-registered SkyGuardian was flown from North Dakota to RAF Fairford for the Royal International Air Tattoo where it was given RAF markings. It was formally announced by the Chief of Air Staff that No. 31 Squadron would become the first squadron to operate the Protector RG1 as it will be known in RAF service.[240][241][242] In July 2020, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract for three Protectors with an option on an additional thirteen aircraft.[243] The 2021 Defence Command Paper confirmed the order for 16 Protectors,[129] despite the fact that the 2015 SDSR originally laid out plans for more than 20.[244]

In July 2014, the House of Commons Defence Select Committee released a report on the RAF future force structure that envisaged a mixture of unmanned and manned platforms, including further F-35, Protector RG1, a service life extension for the Typhoon (which would otherwise end its service in 2030) or a possible new manned aircraft.[245] In July 2018, at the Farnborough Airshow, the Defence Secretary announced a £2bn investment for BAE Systems, MBDA and Leonardo to develop a new British 6th Generation Fighter to replace Typhoon in 2035 under Project Tempest.[246]

On 22 March 2019, the Defence Secretary announced the UK had signed a $1.98 billion deal to procure five Boeing E-7 Wedgetails to replace the ageing Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 fleet in the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) role.[247] As of May 2020, the first E-7 is expected to enter RAF service in 2023 with the final aircraft arriving in late 2025 or early 2026.[248] In December 2020, it was announced that the Wedgetail AEW1 will be based at RAF Lossiemouth.[249] The 2021 Defence Command Paper cut the Wedgetail order down to three aircraft.[129] The Sentry AEW1s were officially withdrawn on 28 September 2021.[250]

Symbols, flags, emblems and uniform

Further information: Royal Air Force roundels and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force

Following the tradition of the other British armed services, the RAF has adopted symbols to represent it, use as rallying devices for members and promote esprit de corps. British aircraft in the early stages of the First World War carried the Union Flag as an identifying feature; however, this was easily confused with Germany's Iron Cross motif. In October 1914, therefore, the French system of three concentric rings was adopted, with the colours reversed to a red disc surrounded by a white ring and an outer blue ring.[251] The relative sizes of the rings have changed over the years and during the Second World War an outer yellow ring was added to the fuselage roundel. Aircraft serving in the Far East during the Second World War had the red disc removed to prevent confusion with Japanese aircraft.[252] Since the 1970s, camouflaged aircraft carry low-visibility roundels, either red and blue on dark camouflage, or washed-out pink and light blue on light colours. Most non-camouflaged training and transport aircraft retain the traditional red-white-blue roundel.[252]

 
The RAF coat of arms at the gates of RAF College Cranwell

The RAF's motto is "Per ardua ad astra" and is usually translated from Latin as "Through Adversity to the Stars",[253] but the RAF's official translation is "Through Struggle to the Stars".[7] The choice of motto is attributed to a junior officer named J S Yule, in response to a request for suggestions from a commander of the Royal Flying Corps, Colonel Sykes.[254]

The badge of the Royal Air Force was first used in August 1918. In heraldic terms it is: "In front of a circle inscribed with the motto Per Ardua Ad Astra and ensigned by the Imperial Crown an eagle volant and affronte Head lowered and to the sinister".[253] Although there have been debates among airmen over the years whether the bird was originally meant to be an albatross or an eagle, the consensus is that it was always an eagle.[255]

Ceremonial functions and display

Red Arrows

Main article: Red Arrows
 
The Red Arrows in formation with an F-35B and a pair of Typhoons at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2016

The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands.[256] The Red Arrows badge shows the aircraft in their trademark Diamond Nine formation, with the motto Éclat, a French word meaning "brilliance" or "excellence".[256]

Initially, they were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers inherited from the RAF Yellowjacks display team. This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-line fighters. In their first season, they flew at sixty-five shows across Europe. In 1966, the team was increased to nine members, enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation. In late 1979, they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer. The Red Arrows have performed over 4,700 displays in fifty-six countries worldwide.[257]

Royal Air Force Music

Main article: Royal Air Force Music Services

Headquarters Royal Air Force Music Services, located at RAF Northolt, supports professional musicians who perform at events around the globe in support of the RAF. The Central Band of the Royal Air Force was established in 1920.[258] Other bands include the Band of the Royal Air Force College, the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment and the Band of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.[259]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Since April 2013, MoD publications no longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead, only Regular Reserves serving under a fixed-term reserve contract are counted. These contracts are similar in nature to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.
  2. ^ Marshal of the Royal Air Force has become an honorary/posthumous rank, war time rank; ceremonial rank.

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January 11, 2023
royal, force, redirects, here, other, uses, disambiguation, disambiguation, united, kingdom, space, force, formed, towards, first, world, april, 1918, becoming, first, independent, force, world, regrouping, royal, flying, corps, royal, naval, service, rnas, fo. RAF redirects here For other uses see RAF disambiguation and Royal Air Force disambiguation The Royal Air Force RAF is the United Kingdom s air and space force 3 It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918 becoming the first independent air force in the world by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service RNAS 4 Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time 5 Since its formation the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history In particular it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign the Battle of Britain 6 Royal Air ForceBadge of the Royal Air ForceFounded1 April 1918 104 years ago 1918 04 01 CountryUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1918 1922 United Kingdom 1922 present TypeAir forceRoleAerial warfareSize33 200 active personnel 1 1 940 Royal Auxiliary Air Force3 300 reserve personnel 1 note 1 Part ofBritish Armed ForcesAir Staff OfficesWhitehall LondonMotto s Per Ardua ad Astra Latin Through Adversity to the Stars MarchQuick Royal Air Force March PastSlow Saeculum 2 Websitewww wbr raf wbr mod wbr ukCommandersCommander in ChiefKing Charles IIIChief of the Air StaffAir Chief Marshal Sir Mike WigstonWarrant Officer of the Royal Air ForceWarrant Officer Jake AlpertNotablecommandersLord Trenchard Lord PortalInsigniaLogoRoundelFin flashEnsignAircraft flownAttackGeneral Atomics MQ 9A ReaperFighterEurofighter Typhoon FGR4 Lockheed Martin F 35B LightningMultirole helicopterBell Griffin HAR2 Boeing Chinook HC4 5 6 6A Leonardo AW109SP GrandNew Westland Puma HC2Trainer helicopterAirbus Helicopters Juno HT1 Airbus Helicopters Jupiter HT1ReconnaissanceBoeing P 8 Poseidon MRA1 Boeing RC 135W Rivet Joint General Atomics MQ 9A Reaper Hawker Beechcraft Shadow R1 R1ATrainerBAE Hawk T1 T2 Beechcraft Texan T1 Embraer Phenom T1 Eurofighter Typhoon T3 Grob Viking T1 Grob Prefect T1 Grob Tutor T1TransportAirbus Voyager KC2 KC3 Airbus A400M Atlas C1 Boeing C 17 Globemaster III Lockheed Martin Hercules C4 C5 Dassault Envoy IV CC1TankerAirbus Voyager KC2 KC3 The RAF s mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence MOD which are to provide the capabilities needed to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories including against terrorism to support the Government s foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security 7 The RAF describes its mission statement as to provide an agile adaptable and capable Air Force that person for person is second to none and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission 8 The mission statement is supported by the RAF s definition of air power which guides its strategy Air power is defined as the ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events 9 Today the Royal Air Force maintains an operational fleet of various types of aircraft 10 described by the RAF as being leading edge in terms of technology 11 This largely consists of fixed wing aircraft including those in the following roles fighter and strike airborne early warning and control intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance ISTAR signals intelligence SIGINT maritime patrol air to air refuelling AAR and strategic amp tactical transport The majority of the RAF s rotary wing aircraft form part of the tri service Joint Helicopter Command in support of ground forces Most of the RAF s aircraft and personnel are based in the UK with many others serving on global operations principally over Iraq and Syria or at long established overseas bases Ascension Island Cyprus Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands Although the RAF is the principal British air power arm the Royal Navy s Fleet Air Arm and the British Army s Army Air Corps also operate armed aircraft Contents 1 History 1 1 Origins 1 2 Second World War 1 3 Cold War era 1 4 Post Cold War 2 Structure 2 1 Senior management 2 2 Air Command 2 3 Groups 2 3 1 No 1 Group Air Combat 2 3 2 No 2 Group Air Combat Support 2 3 3 No 11 Group Multi domain operations 2 3 4 No 22 Group Training 2 3 5 No 83 Expeditionary Air Group 2 4 Stations 2 4 1 United Kingdom 2 4 2 Overseas 2 5 Squadrons 2 6 Flights 2 7 Support wings and units 2 8 Expeditionary Air Wings 2 9 Training schools 2 9 1 Flying training 2 9 2 Non flying training 2 9 3 Specialist training and education 3 Personnel 3 1 Officers 3 2 Other ranks 4 Ranks 5 Aircraft 5 1 Combat air 5 1 1 Typhoon 5 1 2 Lightning 5 2 Intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance ISTAR 5 3 Maritime patrol 5 4 Air mobility 5 5 Helicopters 5 6 Training aircraft 5 6 1 Initial training 5 6 2 Elementary training 5 6 3 Basic fast jet training 5 7 Advanced fast jet training 5 8 Multi engine training 5 8 1 Rotary 5 9 Future aircraft 6 Symbols flags emblems and uniform 7 Ceremonial functions and display 7 1 Red Arrows 7 2 Royal Air Force Music 8 See also 9 Footnotes 10 References 11 Bibliography 12 External linksHistory EditFurther information List of Royal Air Force operations Main article History of the Royal Air Force Origins Edit While the British were not the first to make use of heavier than air military aircraft the RAF is the world s oldest independent air force that is the first air force to become independent of army or navy control 12 The RAF was founded on 1 April 1918 during World War I by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service RNAS as recommended in a report prepared by Jan Smuts 13 At that time it was the largest air force in the world 13 Its headquarters was located in the former Hotel Cecil 14 After the war the RAF was drastically cut and its inter war years were relatively quiet The RAF was put in charge of British military activity in Iraq and carried out minor activities in other parts of the British Empire including establishing bases to protect Singapore and Malaya 15 The RAF s naval aviation branch the Fleet Air Arm was founded in 1924 but handed over to Admiralty control on 24 May 1939 16 The RAF adopted the doctrine of strategic bombing which led to the construction of long range bombers and became its main bombing strategy in the Second World War 17 Second World War Edit Further information Air warfare of World War II A late war version of the Spitfire which played a major role in the Battle of BritainThe Royal Air Force underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War Under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939 the air forces of British Commonwealth countries trained and formed Article XV squadrons for service with RAF formations Many individual personnel from these countries and exiles from occupied Europe also served with RAF squadrons By the end of the war the Royal Canadian Air Force had contributed more than 30 squadrons to serve in RAF formations similarly approximately a quarter of Bomber Command s personnel were Canadian 18 Additionally the Royal Australian Air Force represented around nine percent of all RAF personnel who served in the European and Mediterranean theatres 19 During the Battle of Britain in 1940 the RAF defended the skies over Britain against the numerically superior German Luftwaffe In what is perhaps the most prolonged and complicated air campaign in history the Battle of Britain contributed significantly to the delay and subsequent indefinite postponement of Operation Sea Lion Hitler s plans for an invasion of the UK In the House of Commons on 20 August prompted by the ongoing efforts of the RAF Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech to the nation where he said Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few 20 The Avro Lancaster heavy bomber was extensively used during the strategic bombing of Germany The largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany by Bomber Command While RAF bombing of Germany began almost immediately upon the outbreak of war at first it was ineffectual it was only later particularly under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Harris that these attacks became increasingly devastating from early 1943 onward as new technology and greater numbers of superior aircraft became available 21 The RAF adopted night time area bombing on German cities such as Hamburg and Dresden Night time area bombing constituted the great bulk of the RAF s bombing campaign mainly due to Harris but it also developed precision bombing techniques for specific operations such as the Dambusters raid by No 617 Squadron 22 or the Amiens prison raid known as Operation Jericho 23 Cold War era Edit Further information Cold War Main article Structure of the Royal Air Force in 1989 Following victory in the Second World War the RAF underwent significant re organisation as technological advances in air warfare saw the arrival of jet fighters and bombers During the early stages of the Cold War one of the first major operations undertaken by the RAF was the Berlin Airlift codenamed Operation Plainfire Between 26 June 1948 and the lifting of the Russian blockade of the city on 12 May 1949 the RAF provided 17 of the total supplies delivered using Avro Yorks Douglas Dakotas flying to Gatow Airport and Short Sunderlands flying to Lake Havel 24 The Handley Page Victor bomber was a strategic bomber of the RAF s V bomber force used to carry both conventional and nuclear bombs Before Britain developed its own nuclear weapons the RAF was provided with American nuclear weapons under Project E However following the development of its own arsenal the British Government elected on 16 February 1960 to share the country s nuclear deterrent between the RAF and submarines of the Royal Navy first deciding to concentrate solely on the air force s V bomber fleet These were initially armed with nuclear gravity bombs later being equipped with the Blue Steel missile Following the development of the Royal Navy s Polaris submarines the strategic nuclear deterrent passed to the navy s submarines on 30 June 1969 25 With the introduction of Polaris the RAF s strategic nuclear role was reduced to a tactical one using WE 177 gravity bombs This tactical role was continued by the V bombers into the 1980s and until 1998 by the Panavia Tornado GR1 26 27 The Avro Vulcan was a strategic bomber used during the Cold War to carry conventional and nuclear bombs For much of the Cold War the primary role of the RAF was the defence of Western Europe against potential attack by the Soviet Union with many squadrons based in West Germany The main RAF bases in RAF G were RAF Bruggen RAF Gutersloh RAF Laarbruch and RAF Wildenrath the only air defence base in RAF G With the decline of the British Empire global operations were scaled back and RAF Far East Air Force was disbanded on 31 October 1971 28 Despite this the RAF fought in many battles in the Cold War period In June 1948 the RAF commenced Operation Firedog against Malayan pro independence fighters during the Malayan Emergency 29 Operations continued for the next 12 years until 1960 with aircraft flying out of RAF Tengah and RAF Butterworth The RAF played a minor role in the Korean War with flying boats taking part 30 From 1953 to 1956 the RAF Avro Lincoln squadrons carried out anti Mau Mau operations in Kenya using its base at RAF Eastleigh 31 The Suez Crisis in 1956 saw a large RAF role with aircraft operating from RAF Akrotiri and RAF Nicosia on Cyprus and RAF Luqa and RAF Hal Far on Malta as part of Operation Musketeer 32 The RAF suffered its most recent loss to an enemy aircraft during the Suez Crisis when an English Electric Canberra PR7 was shot down over Syria 33 RAF Shackleton flying in formation in 1957 during the Jebel Akhdar War in OmanIn 1957 the RAF participated heavily during the Jebel Akhdar War in Oman operating both de Havilland Venom and Avro Shackleton aircraft The RAF made 1 635 raids dropping 1 094 tons and firing 900 rockets at the interior of Oman between July and December 1958 targeting insurgents mountain top villages and water channels in a war that remained under low profile 34 35 The Konfrontasi against Indonesia in the early 1960s did see use of RAF aircraft but due to a combination of deft diplomacy and selective ignoring of certain events by both sides it never developed into a full scale war 36 One of the largest actions undertaken by the RAF during the Cold War was the air campaign during the 1982 Falklands War in which the RAF operated alongside the Fleet Air Arm During the war RAF aircraft were deployed in the mid Atlantic at RAF Ascension Island and a detachment from No 1 Squadron was deployed with the Royal Navy operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes 37 38 RAF pilots also flew missions using the Royal Navy s Sea Harriers in the air to air combat role in particular Flight Lieutenant Dave Morgan the highest scoring pilot of the war 39 Following a British victory the RAF remained in the South Atlantic to provide air defence to the Falkland Islands with the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 based at RAF Mount Pleasant which was built in 1984 40 Post Cold War Edit Tornado pilot With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union the RAF s focus returned to expeditionary air power 41 Since 1990 the RAF has been involved in several large scale operations including the 1991 Gulf War 42 the 1999 Kosovo War 43 the 2001 War in Afghanistan 44 the 2003 invasion and war in Iraq 45 and the 2011 intervention in Libya 46 Typhoons and Red Arrows flypast for the 90th Anniversary of the RAF 2008 The RAF s 90th anniversary was commemorated on 1 April 2008 by a flypast of the RAF s Aerobatic Display Team the Red Arrows and four Eurofighter Typhoons along the River Thames in a straight line from just south of London City Airport Tower Bridge the London Eye the RAF Memorial and at 13 00 the Ministry of Defence building 47 48 49 Four major defence reviews have been conducted since the end of the Cold War the 1990 Options for Change the 1998 Strategic Defence Review the 2003 Delivering Security in a Changing World and the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review SDSR All four defence reviews have resulted in steady reductions in manpower and numbers of aircraft especially combat aircraft such as fast jets As part of the latest 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft was cancelled due to over spending and missing deadlines 50 Other reductions saw total manpower reduced by 5 000 personnel to a trained strength of 33 000 and the early retirement of the Joint Force Harrier aircraft the BAE Harrier GR7 GR9 51 In recent years fighter aircraft on Quick Reaction Alert QRA have been increasingly required to scramble in response to Russian Air Force aircraft approaching British airspace 52 On 24 January 2014 in the Houses of Parliament Conservative MP and Minister of State for the Armed Forces Andrew Robathan announced that the RAF s QRA force had been scrambled almost thirty times in the last three years eleven times during 2010 ten times during 2011 and eight times during 2012 53 A Typhoon on QRA intercepts a Russian Tupolev Tu 95 bomber approaching UK airspace 54 RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and RAF Lossiemouth in Moray both provide QRA aircraft and scramble their Typhoons within minutes to meet or intercept aircraft which give cause for concern Lossiemouth generally covers the northern sector of UK airspace while Coningsby covers the southern sector Typhoon pilot Flight Lieutenant Noel Rees describes how QRA duty works At the start of the scaled QRA response civilian air traffic controllers might see on their screens an aircraft behaving erratically not responding to their radio calls or note that it s transmitting a distress signal through its transponder Rather than scramble Typhoons at the first hint of something abnormal a controller has the option to put them on a higher level of alert a call to cockpit In this scenario the pilot races to the hardened aircraft shelter and does everything short of starting his engines 55 On 4 October 2015 a final stand down saw the end of more than 70 years of RAF Search and Rescue provision in the UK The RAF and Royal Navy s Westland Sea King fleets after over 30 years of service were retired A civilian contractor Bristow Helicopters took over responsibility for UK Search and Rescue under a Private Finance Initiative with newly purchased Sikorsky S 92 and AgustaWestland AW189 aircraft The new contract means that all UK SAR coverage is now provided by Bristow aircraft 56 In 2018 the RAF s vision of a future constellation of imagery satellites was initiated through the launch of the Carbonite 2 technology demonstrator The 100 kg Carbonite 2 uses commercial off the shelf COTS components to deliver high quality imagery and 3D video footage from space 57 58 From March 2020 as part of Operation Rescript the RAF has been assisting with the response efforts to the COVID 19 pandemic in the United Kingdom This has seen the service provide repatriation flights and aeromedical evacuations of COVID 19 patients drivers and call handlers to support ambulance services and medics to assist with the staffing of hospitals testing units and vaccination centres 59 60 Under Operation Broadshare the RAF has also been involved with COVID 19 relief operations overseas repatriating stranded nationals and delivering medical supplies and vaccines to British Overseas Territories and military installations 61 Structure EditMain article Structure of the Royal Air Force Senior management Edit Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston The professional head and highest ranking officer of the Royal Air Force is the Chief of the Air Staff CAS He reports to the Chief of the Defence Staff who is the professional head of the British Armed Forces 62 The incumbent Chief of the Air Staff is Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston who was appointed in July 2019 63 The management of the RAF is the responsibility of the Air Force Board a sub committee of the Defence Council which is part of the Ministry of Defence and body legally responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories The Chief of the Air Staff chairs the Air Force Board Standing Committee AFBSC which decides on the policy and actions required for the RAF to meet the requirements of the Defence Council and His Majesty s Government 64 The Chief of the Air Staff is supported by several other senior commanders the main positions are shown in the following table 65 Royal Air Force senior management positions Title Rank NATO rankChief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal OF 9Deputy Commander Capability Air Marshal OF 8Deputy Commander of Operations Air Marshal OF 8Air Officer Northern Ireland Air Marshal OF 8Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Vice Marshal OF 7Air Officer Scotland Air Vice Marshal OF 7Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Plans Air Vice Marshal OF 7Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary Air Vice Marshal OF 7Commandant General Royal Auxiliary Air Force Air Vice Marshal OF 7Director of Legal Services Air Vice Marshal OF 7Air Member for Materiel and Chief of Materiel Vice Admiral OF 8 66 Chaplain in Chief Air Vice Marshal OF 7Air Officer Wales Air Commodore OF 6Director of Resources CivilianWarrant Officer of the Royal Air Force Warrant Officer OR 9Air Command Edit Administrative and operational command of the RAF is delegated by the Air Force Board to Headquarters Air Command based at RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire Air Command was formed on 1 April 2007 by combining RAF Strike Command and RAF Personnel and Training Command resulting in a single command covering the whole RAF led by the Chief of the Air Staff 67 Through its subordinate groups Air Command oversees the whole spectrum of RAF aircraft and operations 68 United Kingdom Space Command UKSC established 1 April 2021 under the command of Air Vice Marshal Paul Godfrey is a joint command but sits under the Royal Air Force 69 Godfrey is of equal rank to the commanders of 1 2 11 and 22 Groups The new command has responsibility for not just operations but also generating training and growing the force and also owning the money and putting all the programmatic rigour into delivering new capabilities 69 UKSC headquarters is at RAF High Wycombe co located with Air Command 70 Groups Edit Main article List of Royal Air Force groupsGroups are the subdivisions of operational commands and are responsible for certain types of capabilities or for operations in limited geographical areas There are five groups subordinate to Air Command of which four are functional and one is geographically focused No 1 Group Air Combat Edit No 1 Group is responsible for combat aircraft comprising the Lightning Force and Typhoon Force and the RAF s intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance ISTAR capabilities It oversees stations at RAF Coningsby and RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire RAF Lossiemouth in Moray and RAF Marham in Norfolk The group s Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 aircraft protect UK and NATO airspace by providing a continuous Quick Reaction Alert capability 71 No 2 Group Air Combat Support Edit No 2 Group controls the Air Mobility Force which provides strategic and tactical airlift air to air refuelling and Command Support Air Transport The group is also responsible for the RAF s Force Protection assets comprising the RAF Regiment and RAF Police It oversees stations at RAF Benson and RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire RAF Honington in Suffolk RAF Odiham in Hampshire and RAF Northolt in West London 72 No 11 Group Multi domain operations Edit No 11 Group is responsible for integrating operations across the air cyber and space domains whilst responding to new and evolving threats It includes the RAF s Battlespace Management Force which controls the UK Air Surveillance and Control System ASACS The group oversees stations at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria 73 No 22 Group Training Edit No 22 Group is responsible for the supply of qualified and skilled personnel to the RAF and provides flying and non flying training to all three British armed services It is the end user of the UK Military Flying Training System which is provided by civilian contractor Ascent Flight Training The group oversees stations at RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire RAF Cosford and RAF Shawbury in Shropshire RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire MOD St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall and RAF Valley on Angelsey 74 The No 22 Group also manages the Royal Air Force Air Cadets 75 No 83 Expeditionary Air Group Edit No 83 Expeditionary Air Group No 83 EAG is the RAF s operational headquarters in the Middle East based at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar It is responsible for UK air operations in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean Operation Kipion the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Operation Shader and wider UK defence objectives in the Middle East Operations are delivered through four Expeditionary Air Wings No 901 EAW No 902 EAW No 903 EAW and No 904 EAW 76 Stations Edit See also List of Royal Air Force stations and List of former Royal Air Force stations Cranwell amp Barkston Heath Benson Boulmer Brize Norton Coningsby Cosford Fylingdales Halton Henlow Honington Leeming Lossiemouth Marham Northolt Odiham Scampton Shawbury St Mawgan Valley Waddington Wittering Woodvale Wytonclass notpageimage Map of the Royal Air Force s main stations Front line flying station Training station Battlespace management Support station An RAF station is ordinarily subordinate to a group and is commanded by a group captain Each station typically hosts several flying and non flying squadrons or units which are supported by administrative and support wings 77 United Kingdom Edit Front line flying operations are focussed at eight stations 78 RAF Coningsby RAF Marham and RAF Lossiemouth Air Combat RAF Waddington Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance ISTAR RAF Brize Norton and RAF Northolt Air Transport RAF Benson and RAF Odiham Support Helicopter Force operating under Joint Helicopter Command Flying training takes places at RAF Barkston Heath RAF College Cranwell RAF Shawbury and RAF Valley each forming part of the UK Military Flying Training System which is dedicated to training aircrew for all three UK armed services Specialist ground crew training is focused at RAF Cosford RAF St Mawgan and MOD St Athan Operations are supported by numerous other flying and non flying stations with activity focussed at RAF Honington which coordinates Force Protection and RAF Leeming amp RAF Wittering which have a support enabler role A Control and Reporting Centre CRC at RAF Boulmer is tasked with compiling a Recognised Air Picture of UK air space and providing tactical control of the Quick Reaction Alert Force In order to achieve this Boulmer is supported by a network of eight Remote Radar Heads RRHs spread the length of the UK 79 Overseas Edit The UK operates permanent military airfields known as Permanent Joint Operating Bases in four British Overseas Territories These bases contribute to the physical defence and maintenance of sovereignty of the British Overseas Territories and enable the UK to conduct expeditionary military operations 80 Although command and oversight of the bases is provided by Strategic Command the airfield elements are known as RAF stations 81 RAF Akrotiri Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Cyprus RAF Ascension Island Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cuhna RAF Mount Pleasant Falkland Islands RAF Gibraltar Gibraltar Three RAF squadrons are based overseas No 84 Squadron is located at RAF Akrotiri operating the Griffin HAR 2 for search and rescue 82 No 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron and No 39 Squadron are located within the United States to support close cooperation with the U S Air Force in the development of the F 35B Lightning Edwards Air Force Base California and the operation of the MQ 9A Reaper Creech Air Force Base Nevada respectively 83 Squadrons Edit Main article List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadronsA flying squadron is an aircraft unit which carries out the primary tasks of the RAF RAF squadrons are somewhat analogous to the regiments of the British Army in that they have histories and traditions going back to their formation regardless of where they are based or which aircraft they are operating They can be awarded standards and battle honours for meritorious service Most flying squadrons are commanded by a wing commander and for a fast jet squadron have an establishment of around twelve aircraft 84 Flights Edit See also List of Royal Air Force aircraft independent flights RAF Mount Pleasant home to No 1435 Flight providing air defence for the Falkland Islands Independent flights are so designated because they are explicitly smaller in size than a squadron Many independent flights are or have been front line flying units For example No 1435 Flight carries out air defence duties for the Falkland Islands with four Eurofighter Typhoon fighters based at RAF Mount Pleasant 85 Support wings and units Edit See also List of wings of the Royal Air Force and List of Royal Air Force units amp establishments Support capabilities are provided by several specialist wings and other units Air Warfare Centre RAF Waddington Airborne Delivery Wing RAF Brize Norton Mobile Meteorological Unit RAF Scampton Tactical Communications Wing RAF Leeming Tactical Medical Wing RAF Brize Norton Tactical Supply Wing MOD Stafford No 1 Air Control Centre RAF Scampton No 1 Air Mobility Wing RAF Brize Norton No 1 Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing RAF Waddington No 42 Expeditionary Support Wing RAF Wittering No 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing RAF Wittering No 90 Signals Unit RAF Leeming Expeditionary Air Wings Edit Main article Expeditionary Air Wing Command control and support for overseas operations is typically provided through Expeditionary Air Wings EAWs Each wing is brought together as and when required and comprises the deployable elements of its home station as well as other support elements from throughout the RAF 86 No 34 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Waddington ISTAR operations 87 No 38 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Brize Norton air transport operations 88 No 121 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Coningsby multi role operations 89 No 135 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Leeming fighter operations 89 No 138 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Marham fighter operations 89 No 140 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Lossiemouth fighter operations 89 Several Expeditionary Air Wings are based overseas 76 No 901 Expeditionary Air Wing Al Udeid Air Base Qatar Communication and information systems support No 902 Expeditionary Air Wing Middle East Helicopter support No 903 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Akrotiri Cyprus Supports Operation Shader No 905 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF Mount Pleasant Falklands Islands Protection of British Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic No 906 Expeditionary Air Wing Middle East Air transport supportTraining schools Edit Main article List of Royal Air Force schools Flying training Edit The RAF Schools consist of the squadrons and support apparatus that train new aircrew to join front line squadrons The schools separate individual streams but group together units with similar responsibility or that operate the same aircraft type Some schools operate with only one squadron and have an overall training throughput which is relatively small some like No 3 Flying Training School have responsibility for all Elementary Flying Training EFT in the RAF and all RAF aircrew will pass through its squadrons when they start their flying careers No 2 Flying Training School and No 6 Flying Training School do not have a front line training responsibility their job is to group the University Air Squadrons and the Volunteer Gliding Squadrons together The commanding officer of No 2 FTS holds the only full time flying appointment for a Group Captain in the RAF and is a reservist Central Flying School RAF Cranwell standardises flying training across the air force and ensures standards and safety are maintained 90 No 1 Flying Training School RAF Shawbury basic and advanced helicopter training 91 92 No 2 Flying Training School RAF Syerston gliding training provided by Volunteer Gliding Squadrons based at airfields throughout the UK 93 No 3 Flying Training School RAF Cranwell Elementary Flying Training EFT for RAF Fleet Air Arm and Army Air Corps crews also operates from RAF Wittering and RAF Barkston Heath 94 95 No 4 Flying Training School RAF Valley Basic Fast Jet Training BFJT and Advanced Fast Jet Training AFJT 96 No 6 Flying Training School RAF Cranwell Initial training provided by University Air Squadrons and Air Experience Flights based at airfields throughout the UK 97 Non flying training Edit Jaguar aircraft used for training by No 1 School of Technical Training at RAF Cosford The British military operate a number of joint training organisations with Air Command leading the provision of technical training through the Defence College of Technical Training DCTT 98 It provides training in aeronautical engineering electro and mechanical engineering and communication and information systems 99 No 1 School of Technical Training is based at RAF Cosford and provides RAF personnel with mechanical avionics weapons and survival equipment training Also based at Cosford is the Aerosystems Engineer and Management Training School Both are part of the Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering 100 No 4 School of Technical Training is part of the Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering DSEME and is based at MOD St Athan It provides training to non aircraft ground engineering technicians 101 No 1 Radio School and the Aerial Erectors School are based at Cosford and RAF Digby respectively and are part of the Defence School of Communications and Information Systems 102 Specialist training and education Edit The Royal Air Force operates several units and centres for the provision of non generic training and education These include the Royal Air Force Leadership Centre and the RAF Centre for Air Power Studies both based at RAF Cranwell 103 and the Air Warfare Centre based at RAF Waddington and RAF Cranwell 104 Non commissioned officer training and developmental courses occur at RAF Halton and officer courses occur at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham 105 Personnel EditSee also List of Royal Air Force personnel and List of comparative military ranks Members of the RAF Regiment on parade 2013 At its height in 1944 during the Second World War more than 1 100 000 personnel were serving in the RAF The longest lived founding member of the RAF was Henry Allingham who died on 18 July 2009 aged 113 106 As of 1 January 2015 the RAF numbered some 34 200 Regular 107 and 1 940 Royal Auxiliary Air Force 108 personnel giving a combined component strength of 36 140 personnel In addition to the active elements of the RAF Regular and Royal Auxiliary Air Force all ex Regular personnel remain liable to be recalled for duty in a time of need this is known as the Regular Reserve In 2007 there were 33 980 RAF Regular Reserves of which 7 950 served under a fixed term reserve contract 109 Publications since April 2013 no longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve instead they only give a figure for Regular Reserves who serve under a fixed term reserve contract 110 They had a strength of 7 120 personnel in 2014 111 Figures provided by the International Institute for Strategic Studies from 2012 showed that RAF pilots achieve a relatively high number of flying hours per year when compared with other major NATO allies such as France and Germany RAF pilots achieve 210 to 290 flying hours per year 112 French and German Air Force pilots achieved 180 and 150 flying hours across their fleets respectively 113 Officers Edit King George VI Queen Elizabeth and Princess Elizabeth with RAF personnel during World War II Officers hold a commission from the Sovereign which provides the legal authority for them to issue orders to subordinates The commission of a regular officer is granted after successfully completing the 24 week long Initial Officer Training course at the RAF College Cranwell Lincolnshire 114 To emphasise the merger of both military and naval aviation when the RAF was formed many of the titles of officers were deliberately chosen to be of a naval character such as flight lieutenant wing commander group captain and air commodore 115 Other ranks Edit Other ranks attend the Recruit Training Squadron at RAF Halton for basic training 116 The titles and insignia of other ranks in the RAF were based on that of the Army with some alterations in terminology Over the years this structure has seen significant changes for example there was once a separate system for those in technical trades and the ranks of chief technician and junior technician continue to be held only by personnel in technical trades RAF other ranks fall into four categories Warrant Officers Senior Non Commissioned Officers Junior Non Commissioned Officers and Airmen All Warrant Officers in the RAF are equal in terms of rank but the most senior Non Commissioned appointment is known as the Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force 117 Ranks EditMain articles RAF officer ranks and RAF other ranks Royal Air Force officer rank insigniaNATO code OF 10 OF 9 OF 8 OF 7 OF 6 OF 5 OF 4 OF 3 OF 2 OF 1 OF D United Kingdom Epaulette rank insignia view Rank Title Marshal of the Royal Air Force Air chief marshal Air marshal Air vice marshal Air commodore Group captain Wing commander Squadron leader Flight lieutenant Flying officer Pilot officer acting pilot officer Officer cadetAbbreviation MRAF note 2 Air Chf Mshl Air Mshl AVM Air Cdre Gp Capt Wg Cdr Sqn Ldr Flt Lt Fg Off Plt Off Off Cdt Royal Air Force other rank insigniaNATO rank code OR 9 OR 7 OR 6 OR 5 OR 4 OR 3 OR 2 OR 1 United Kingdom Rank Insignia No insigniaRank Title 118 Warrant Officer Flight Sergeant Chief Technician Sergeant Corporal Lance Corporal RAFRegiment Air Specialist Class 1 Technician Air Specialist Class 1 Air Specialist Class 2 Air RecruitAbbreviation WO FS Chf Tech Sgt Cpl L Cpl AS1 T AS1 AS2 AR Aircrew Rank Insignia No equivalentRank Title RAF Master Aircrew RAF Flight Sergeant Aircrew RAF Sergeant AircrewAircraft EditFurther information List of aircraft of the RAF and List of active United Kingdom military aircraft Combat air Edit Typhoon Edit Typhoon FGR4 ZK330 EZ of No 6 Squadron The Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 is the RAF s primary multi role air defence and ground attack fighter aircraft 119 120 following the retirement of the Panavia Tornado F3 in late March 2011 121 With the completion of Project Centurion upgrades the Typhoon FGR4 took over ground attack duties from the Panavia Tornado GR4 which was retired on 1 April 2019 122 123 124 The Typhoon is tasked to defend UK airspace while also frequently deploying in support of NATO air defence missions in the Baltic Operation Azotize Black Sea Operation Biloxi and Iceland 119 125 The RAF has seven front line Typhoon squadrons plus an Operational Conversion Unit OCU and Operational Evaluation Unit OEU No 3 Fighter Squadron No XI Fighter Squadron No 12 Squadron joint RAF Qatar Air Force No 29 Squadron OCU and No 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron OEU based at RAF Coningsby with No 1 F Squadron No II Army Cooperation Squadron No 6 Squadron and No IX Bomber Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth 119 126 Additionally four Typhoons Faith Hope Charity and Desperation are based at RAF Mount Pleasant on the Falkland Islands forming No 1435 Flight where they provide air defence 127 It was originally suggested that an eighth front line Typhoon squadron could be formed 128 however the 2021 Defence Command Paper announced the retirement of 24 Tranche 1 Typhoons by 2025 and a commitment to seven front line squadrons 129 130 The Typhoon made its combat debut in support of Operation Ellamy in 2011 and has been supporting Operation Shader since December 2015 119 Lightning Edit F 35B Lightning IIThe Lockheed Martin F 35B Lightning II is a single seat single engine all weather stealth multirole combat aircraft It is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions while also providing electronic warfare and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities It will be jointly operated by the RAF and the Royal Navy and with its ability to perform short take offs and vertical landings STOVL can operate from the Royal Navy s Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers 131 Originally a total of 138 Lightnings were planned 132 133 134 however the 2021 Defence Command Paper amended this to a commitment to increase the fleet beyond the current order of 48 129 By October 2021 24 F 35Bs had been delivered to the RAF 135 though one crashed in November 2021 136 The first RAF squadron to operate the F 35B was No 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards AFB California accepting its first aircraft in 2014 137 No 617 The Dambusters Squadron officially reformed on 18 April 2018 as the first operational RAF Lightning squadron 138 The first four aircraft arrived at RAF Marham from the United States in June 2018 139 with a further five arriving in August 2018 140 The Lightning was declared combat ready in January 2019 141 The second UK based F 35B squadron to be formed was No 207 Squadron on 1 August 2019 as the OCU for both RAF and Royal Navy pilots 142 143 Intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance ISTAR Edit Six Hawker Beechcraft Shadow R1s with two more to be converted are operated by No 14 Squadron from RAF Waddington these aircraft are King Air 350CERs that have been specially converted for the ISTAR role 144 Four Shadow R1s were originally ordered in 2007 due to an Urgent Operational Requirement 145 and began the conversion process to the ISTAR role in 2009 146 ZZ416 was the first Shadow R1 to be delivered in May 2009 to No V AC Squadron 147 A further Shadow was procured and delivered in December 2011 148 The Shadow fleet was transferred over to the newly reformed No 14 Squadron in October 2011 149 Following the 2015 SDSR three more Shadows were ordered and the fleet was given an OSD of 2030 150 Ten General Atomics MQ 9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles have been purchased to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan They are operated by No 39 Squadron based at Creech Air Force Base and No XIII Squadron at RAF Waddington 151 Three Boeing RC 135W Rivet Joints also known in RAF service as Airseeker replaced the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R1 fleet in the signals intelligence role under the Airseeker Programme and are flown by No 51 Squadron 152 The Nimrod fleet was retired in 2011 the RAF co manned aircraft of the US Air Force until the three RC 135s entered service between 2014 and 2017 153 The aircraft were Boeing KC 135R Stratotanker tankers converted to RC 135W standard in the most complex combined Foreign Military Sales case and co operative support arrangement that the UK had undertaken with the United States Air Force since the Second World War 154 The Rivet Joint received its first operational deployment in August 2014 when it was deployed to the Middle East to fly missions over Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Shader 155 The RC 135W s OSD is 2035 156 Based at RAF Waddington No 54 Squadron and No 56 Squadron act as the OCU and OEU for the ISTAR fleet respectively 157 158 Airseeker R1 Shadow R1 MQ 9A ReaperMaritime patrol Edit Poseidon MRA1 Nine Boeing Poseidon MRA1 159 were ordered by the Government in November 2015 in its Strategic Defence and Security Review for surveillance anti submarine and anti surface ship warfare filling a capability gap in maritime patrol that had been left since the cancellation of the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 programme in the 2010 SDSR 160 On 13 July 2017 it was announced that No 120 Squadron and No 201 Squadron both former Nimrod MR2 squadrons would operate the Poseidon and be based at RAF Lossiemouth 161 No 120 Squadron stood up on 1 April 2018 161 with No 201 Squadron reforming on 7 August 2021 162 No 54 Squadron acts as the OCU for the Poseidon fleet 163 The first production Poseidon MRA1 ZP801 made its initial flight on 13 July 2019 164 ZP801 arrived at Kinloss Barracks the former home of the Nimrod on 4 February 2020 filling a decade long gap in maritime capability 165 The Poseidon was declared combat ready in April 2020 166 The Poseidon carried out its first operational mission on 3 August 2020 when the Russian warship Vasily Bykov was tracked 167 A Poseidon MRA1 arrived at RAF Lossiemouth for the first time in October 2020 163 The ninth and final Poseidon arrived at RAF Lossiemouth on 11 January 2022 168 Air mobility Edit Further information AirTanker Services No 99 Squadron operate eight Boeing C 17A Globemaster III in the heavy strategic airlift role from RAF Brize Norton Oxfordshire Four C 17A were originally leased from Boeing in 2000 169 These four were subsequently purchased outright 170 followed by a fifth delivered on 7 April 2008 and a sixth delivered on 11 June 2008 171 The MOD said there was a stated departmental requirement for eight C 17s and a seventh was subsequently ordered to be delivered in December 2010 172 In February 2012 the purchase of an eighth C 17 was confirmed 173 the aircraft arrived at RAF Brize Norton in May 2012 174 Shorter range tactical airlift transport is provided by the Lockheed Martin C 130J Hercules known as the Hercules C4 C 130J 30 and Hercules C5 C 130J in RAF service based at RAF Brize Norton and flown by No 47 Squadron 175 Twenty five C 130Js were originally ordered in December 1994 15 C4s and ten C5s 176 the first Hercules C4 to be delivered was ZH865 in August 1998 177 with the first Hercules C5 ZH881 in May 1999 178 The 2010 SDSR called for the retirement of the Hercules fleet by 2022 179 with the 2015 SDSR amending this to maintaining the fourteen Hercules C4s until 2030 150 The draw down of the Hercules C5 fleet began in 2016 with two left in service by December 2020 180 The fourteen C4 extended variants were scheduled to retire on 31 March 2035 However due to the crash of Hercules C4 ZH873 in August 2017 181 one Hercules C5 was retained to keep the fleet at 14 aircraft 182 The 2021 Defence Command Paper brought forward the retirement of the Hercules fleet to 2023 129 The Airbus Atlas C1 A400M replaced the RAF s fleet of Hercules C1 C3 C 130K which were withdrawn from use on 28 October 2013 having originally entered service in 1967 176 Based at RAF Brize Norton the Atlas fleet is operated by No 30 Squadron and No LXX Squadron 183 The first Atlas C1 ZM400 was delivered to the RAF in November 2014 184 The A400M is also expected to replace the C4 C5 variants Originally twenty five A400Ms were ordered the total purchase has now dropped to twenty two 185 186 No XXIV Squadron acts as the Air Mobility OCU AMOCU for the Globemaster Hercules and Atlas 187 while No 206 Squadron is the OEU 188 Air transport tasks are also carried out by the Airbus Voyager KC2 3 flown by No 10 Squadron and No 101 Squadron 189 The first Voyager ZZ330 arrived in the UK for testing at MOD Boscombe Down in April 2011 190 and entered service in April 2012 191 The Voyager received approval from the MOD on 16 May 2013 to begin air to air refuelling flights and made its first operational tanker flight on 20 May 2013 as part of a training sortie with Tornado GR4s By 21 May 2013 the Voyager fleet had carried over 50 000 passengers and carried over 3 000 tons of cargo 192 A total of fourteen Voyagers form the fleet with nine allocated to sole RAF use three KC2s and six KC3s 193 As the Voyagers lack a refuelling boom the RAF has requested a memorandum of understanding MoU with the USAF allowing the UK access to tankers equipped with refuelling booms for its RC 135W Rivet Joint 194 C 17A Globemaster III Atlas C1 A400M Hercules C4 C 130J 30 Voyager KC2 A330 MRTT Helicopters Edit RAF helicopters support the British Army by moving troops and equipment to and around the battlefield Helicopters are also used in a variety of other roles including in support of RAF ground units and heavy lift support for the Royal Marines The support helicopters are organised into the tri service Joint Helicopter Command JHC along with helicopters from the British Army and Royal Navy 195 No 22 Squadron based at RAF Benson re formed in May 2020 as the OEU for JHC 196 The large twin rotor Boeing Chinook is the RAF s heavy lift support helicopter 197 Originally ordered in 1978 198 with subsequent orders in 1995 199 2011 200 and 2018 yet to be finalised 201 the Chinook is operated by No 7 Squadron No 18 B Squadron and No 27 Squadron at RAF Odiham and No 28 Squadron Support Helicopter OCU at RAF Benson 202 Since being first delivered in 1980 203 the Chinook has been involved in numerous operations the Falklands War 1982 Operation Granby 1991 Operation Engadine 1999 Operation Barras 2000 Operation Herrick 2002 2014 Operation Telic 2003 2011 Operation Ruman 2017 and Operation Newcombe 2018 present 202 204 205 206 The 60 strong fleet of Chinooks currently has an OSD in the 2040s 207 208 The Westland Puma HC2 is the RAF s Medium lift support helicopter It is operated by No 33 Squadron and No 230 Squadron 209 as well as by No 28 Squadron Support Helicopter OCU all of which are based at RAF Benson 210 The first two Puma HC1s XW198 and XW199 of an eventual forty eight were delivered in January 1971 211 which were supplemented by a captured Argentine Army SA 330J in 2001 and six ex South African Air Force SA 330Ls in 2002 212 213 Twenty four Puma HC1s underwent upgrades to HC2 standard between 2012 and 2014 214 The Puma HC2 OSD is currently March 2025 215 Three Bell Griffin HAR2 are operated by No 84 Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri in the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas 82 They are the RAF s only dedicated search and rescue helicopter since the disbandment of the RAF Search and Rescue Force in February 2016 216 However all UK military helicopter aircrew routinely train and practise the skills necessary for search and rescue and the support helicopters based in the UK are available to the Government under Military Aid to the Civil Authorities 217 The AgustaWestland AW109 Grand New of No 32 The Royal Squadron based at RAF Northolt provides the VIP transport Command Support Air Transport role 218 Chinook HC6A Puma HC2 Griffin HAR2 AW109 Grand NewTraining aircraft Edit Main article UK Military Flying Training System The UK s military flying training has been privatised through a public private partnership known as the UK Military Flying Training System UKMFTS Training is provided by Ascent Flight Training a consortium of Lockheed Martin and Babcock International 219 New aircraft were procured to reduce the training gap between the older generation Grob Tutor T1 Short Tucano T1 and Beechcraft King Air T1 aircraft and the RAF s modern front line aircraft including advanced systems and glass cockpits UKMFTS also relies far more on synthetic training to prepare aircrew for the front line where advanced synthetic training is commonplace 220 Initial training Edit The Grob Tutor T1 equips fifteen University Air Squadrons which provide university students an opportunity to undertake an RAF training syllabus which includes first solo as well as air navigation aerobatics and formation flying These units are co located with Air Experience Flights which share the same aircraft and facilities and provide air experience flying to the Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force The Tutor is also flown by No 16 Squadron and No 115 Squadron based at RAF Wittering 221 Volunteer Gliding Squadrons also provide air experience flying to cadets using the Grob Viking T1 conventional glider Due to an airworthiness issue in April 2014 the Viking fleet and the Grob Vigilant T1 fleet were grounded for a two year period although Viking operations have subsequently resumed 222 The Vigilant was unexpectedly withdrawn from service in May 2018 a year earlier than planned A contract tender was initiated in February 2018 to replace this capability from 2022 onwards 223 Elementary training Edit The Grob Prefect T1 was introduced to RAF service in 2016 as its elementary trainer The 23 strong fleet is based at RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath in Lincolnshire where they are operated by No 57 Squadron On completion of elementary training aircrew are then streamed to either fast jet multi engine or rotary training 224 Basic fast jet training Edit Basic fast jet training is provided on the Beechcraft Texan T1 which replaced the Short Tucano T1 in November 2019 The Texan is a tandem seat turboprop aircraft featuring a digital glass cockpit It is operated by No 72 F Squadron based at RAF Valley in Anglesey which provides lead in training for RAF and Royal Navy fighter pilots prior to advanced training on the BAE Hawk T2 The first two Texans were delivered in February 2018 and by December 2018 ten aircraft had arrived at RAF Valley 225 226 Four additional Texans were delivered on 3 November 2020 227 Advanced fast jet training Edit The BAE Hawk T2 is flown by No IV AC Squadron and No XXV F Squadron based at RAF Valley The latter provides initial Advanced Fast Jet Training AFJT while pilots who graduate on to the former squadron learn tactical and weapons training 228 After advanced training aircrew go on to an Operational Conversion Unit OCU where they are trained to fly either the Typhoon FGR4 No 29 Squadron at RAF Coningsby or F 35B Lightning No 207 Squadron at RAF Marham in preparation for service with a front line squadron The OCUs use operational aircraft alongside simulators and ground training although in the case of the Typhoon a two seater training variant exists which is designated the Typhoon T3 229 On 15 October 2020 it was announced a joint RAF Qatari Air Force Hawk squadron similar to No 12 Squadron would be formed in the future 230 On 1 April 2021 it was further elaborated that this squadron would stand up in September 2021 at RAF Leeming North Yorkshire 231 The Joint Hawk Training Squadron received its first two Hawk Mk 167s at RAF Leeming on 1 September 2021 232 On 24 November 2021 the Joint Hawk Training Squadron became 11 Squadron QEAF when it reformed at RAF Leeming 233 Multi engine training Edit Multi Engine aircrew weapon systems officer WSO and weapon systems operator WSOp students are trained on the Embraer Phenom T1 It is operated by No 45 Squadron based at RAF Cranwell Multi engine aircrew then go to their Operational Conversion Unit or front line squadron 234 Viking T1 Tutor T1 Prefect T1 Texan T1 Hawk T2 Phenom T1 Typhoon T3Rotary Edit No 1 Flying Training School No 1 FTS formerly the Defence Helicopter Flying School is based at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire and provides basic helicopter pilot training for all UK armed forces It flies twenty nine Airbus Juno HT1 No 1 FTS comprises two main elements 2 Maritime Air Wing 2 MAW and No 9 Regiment 235 2 MAW includes No 660 Squadron of the Army Air Corps AAC and 705 Naval Air Squadron and provide basic helicopter flying training No 9 Regiment comprises No 60 Squadron of the RAF and No 670 Squadron of the AAC in the advanced helicopter flying training No 202 Squadron is also part of No 1 FTS and operates the Airbus Jupiter HT1 at RAF Valley 236 Juno HT1 Jupiter HT1Future aircraft Edit See also Future of the Royal Air Force On 5 October 2015 it was announced that the Scavenger programme had been replaced by Protector a new requirement for at least 20 unmanned aerial vehicles 237 On 7 October 2015 it was revealed that Protector will be a certifiable derivative of the MQ 9B SkyGuardian with enhanced range and endurance 238 In 2016 it was indicated that at least sixteen aircraft would be purchased with a maximum of up to twenty six 239 In July 2018 a General Atomics US civil registered SkyGuardian was flown from North Dakota to RAF Fairford for the Royal International Air Tattoo where it was given RAF markings It was formally announced by the Chief of Air Staff that No 31 Squadron would become the first squadron to operate the Protector RG1 as it will be known in RAF service 240 241 242 In July 2020 the Ministry of Defence signed a contract for three Protectors with an option on an additional thirteen aircraft 243 The 2021 Defence Command Paper confirmed the order for 16 Protectors 129 despite the fact that the 2015 SDSR originally laid out plans for more than 20 244 In July 2014 the House of Commons Defence Select Committee released a report on the RAF future force structure that envisaged a mixture of unmanned and manned platforms including further F 35 Protector RG1 a service life extension for the Typhoon which would otherwise end its service in 2030 or a possible new manned aircraft 245 In July 2018 at the Farnborough Airshow the Defence Secretary announced a 2bn investment for BAE Systems MBDA and Leonardo to develop a new British 6th Generation Fighter to replace Typhoon in 2035 under Project Tempest 246 On 22 March 2019 the Defence Secretary announced the UK had signed a 1 98 billion deal to procure five Boeing E 7 Wedgetails to replace the ageing Boeing E 3D Sentry AEW1 fleet in the Airborne Early Warning and Control AEW amp C role 247 As of May 2020 the first E 7 is expected to enter RAF service in 2023 with the final aircraft arriving in late 2025 or early 2026 248 In December 2020 it was announced that the Wedgetail AEW1 will be based at RAF Lossiemouth 249 The 2021 Defence Command Paper cut the Wedgetail order down to three aircraft 129 The Sentry AEW1s were officially withdrawn on 28 September 2021 250 Protector RG1 E 7 WedgetailSymbols flags emblems and uniform EditFurther information Royal Air Force roundels and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force EnsignFollowing the tradition of the other British armed services the RAF has adopted symbols to represent it use as rallying devices for members and promote esprit de corps British aircraft in the early stages of the First World War carried the Union Flag as an identifying feature however this was easily confused with Germany s Iron Cross motif In October 1914 therefore the French system of three concentric rings was adopted with the colours reversed to a red disc surrounded by a white ring and an outer blue ring 251 The relative sizes of the rings have changed over the years and during the Second World War an outer yellow ring was added to the fuselage roundel Aircraft serving in the Far East during the Second World War had the red disc removed to prevent confusion with Japanese aircraft 252 Since the 1970s camouflaged aircraft carry low visibility roundels either red and blue on dark camouflage or washed out pink and light blue on light colours Most non camouflaged training and transport aircraft retain the traditional red white blue roundel 252 The RAF coat of arms at the gates of RAF College Cranwell The RAF s motto is Per ardua ad astra and is usually translated from Latin as Through Adversity to the Stars 253 but the RAF s official translation is Through Struggle to the Stars 7 The choice of motto is attributed to a junior officer named J S Yule in response to a request for suggestions from a commander of the Royal Flying Corps Colonel Sykes 254 The badge of the Royal Air Force was first used in August 1918 In heraldic terms it is In front of a circle inscribed with the motto Per Ardua Ad Astra and ensigned by the Imperial Crown an eagle volant and affronte Head lowered and to the sinister 253 Although there have been debates among airmen over the years whether the bird was originally meant to be an albatross or an eagle the consensus is that it was always an eagle 255 Ceremonial functions and display EditRed Arrows Edit Main article Red Arrows The Red Arrows in formation with an F 35B and a pair of Typhoons at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2016 The Red Arrows officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington The team was formed in late 1964 as an all RAF team replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands 256 The Red Arrows badge shows the aircraft in their trademark Diamond Nine formation with the motto Eclat a French word meaning brilliance or excellence 256 Initially they were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers inherited from the RAF Yellowjacks display team This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front line fighters In their first season they flew at sixty five shows across Europe In 1966 the team was increased to nine members enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation In late 1979 they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer The Red Arrows have performed over 4 700 displays in fifty six countries worldwide 257 Royal Air Force Music Edit Main article Royal Air Force Music Services Headquarters Royal Air Force Music Services located at RAF Northolt supports professional musicians who perform at events around the globe in support of the RAF The Central Band of the Royal Air Force was established in 1920 258 Other bands include the Band of the Royal Air Force College the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment and the Band of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force 259 See also Edit United Kingdom portal Aviation portal War portalList of all aircraft current and former of the United Kingdom List of military aircraft 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