The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the BritishMinistry 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".[12] The RAF describes its mission statement as "... [to provide] anagile, 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".[13] The mission statement is supported by the RAF's definition ofair power, which guides its strategy. Air power is defined as "the ability toproject power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events".[14]
An Act to make provision for the establishment, administration, and discipline of an Air Force, the establishment of an Air Council, and for purposes connected therewith.
The Royal Air Force was formed towards the end of theFirst World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the third independent air force in the world after theMexican Air Force (established 5 February 1915)[17] and theFinnish Air Force (established 6 March 1918),[18] by merging theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) and theRoyal Naval Air Service (RNAS).[19] This was done as recommended in a report prepared by the South African statesman and generalJan Smuts.[20] At that time it was the largest air force in the world.[20] Its headquarters was located in the formerHotel Cecil.[21]
After the war, the RAF was drastically cut and its inter-war years were relatively quiet. The RAF was put in charge ofBritish military activity in Iraq, and carried out minor activities in other parts of theBritish Empire, including establishing bases to protectSingapore and Malaya.[22] The RAF's naval aviation branch, theFleet Air Arm, was founded in 1924 but handed over toAdmiralty control on 24 May 1939.[23]
The RAF adopted the doctrine ofstrategic bombing, which led to the construction of long-range bombers and became its main bombing strategy in theSecond World War.[24]
The Royal Air Force underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War. Under theBritish Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939, the air forces ofBritish Commonwealth countries trained and formed "Article XV squadrons" for service with RAF formations. Many individual personnel from these countries, and exiles fromoccupied Europe, also served with RAF squadrons. By the end of the war theRoyal Canadian Air Force had contributed more than 30 squadrons to serve in RAF formations, similarly, approximately a quarter ofBomber Command's personnel were Canadian.[25] Additionally, theRoyal Australian Air Force represented around nine per cent of all RAF personnel who served in the European and Mediterranean theatres.[26]
TheAvro Lancaster heavy bomber was extensively used during the strategic bombing of Germany.
The largest RAF effort during the war was thestrategic 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 ofAir Chief MarshalHarris, that these attacks became increasingly devastating, from early 1943 onward, as new technology and greater numbers of superior aircraft became available.[28] The RAF adopted night-timearea bombing on German cities such asHamburg andDresden. 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 infamous"Dambusters" raid byNo. 617 Squadron,[29] or the Amiens prison raid known asOperation Jericho.[30]
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 theBerlin Airlift, codenamed Operation Plainfire. Between 26 June 1948 and the lifting of the Soviet blockade of the city on 12 May 1949, the RAF provided 17% of the total supplies delivered, usingAvro Yorks,Douglas Dakotas flying toGatow Airport andShort Sunderlands flying to Lake Havel.[31] The RAF saw its first post-war engagements in the1948 Arab–Israeli War: during the withdrawal of the formerMandatory Palestine in May 1948 where BritishSupermarine Spitfire FR.18s shot down fourRoyal Egyptian Air Force Spitfire LF.9s after the REAF mistakenly attackedRAF Ramat David airbase;[32] and during encounters with theIsraeli Air Force which saw the loss of a singlede Havilland Mosquito PR.34 in November 1948 and four Spitfire FR.18s and a singleHawker Tempest F.6 in January 1949.[33][34]
Before Britain developed its ownnuclear weapons, the RAF was provided with American nuclear weapons underProject E. However, following the development of its own arsenal, the British Government elected on 16 February 1960 to share the country'snuclear deterrent between the RAF and submarines of the Royal Navy, first deciding to concentrate solely on the air force'sV bomber fleet. These were initially armed with nucleargravity bombs, later being equipped with theBlue Steel missile. Following the development of the Royal Navy'sPolaris submarines, the strategic nuclear deterrent passed to the navy's submarines on 30 June 1969.[35] With the introduction of Polaris, the RAF's strategic nuclear role was reduced to a tactical one, usingWE.177 gravity bombs. This tactical role was continued by the V bombers into the 1980s and until 1998 by thePanavia Tornado GR1.[36][37]
In 1957, the RAF participated heavily during theJebel Akhdar War in Oman, operating bothde Havilland Venom andAvro 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.[44][45] TheKonfrontasi 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.[46] The RAF played a large role in theAden Emergency between 1963 and 1967.Hawker Hunter FGA.9s based atRAF Khormaksar, Aden, were regularly called in by theBritish Army asclose air support to carry out strikes on rebel positions.[47] TheRadfan Campaign (Operation Nutcracker) in early 1964 was successful in suppressing the revolt in Radfa, however it did nothing to end the insurgency with the British withdrawing from Aden in November 1967.[48]
One of the largest actions undertaken by the RAF during the Cold War was the air campaign during the 1982Falklands War, in which the RAF operated alongside theFleet Air Arm. During the war, RAF aircraft were deployed in the mid-Atlantic atRAF Ascension Island and a detachment fromNo. 1 Squadron was deployed with the Royal Navy, operating from the aircraft carrierHMSHermes.[49][50] RAF pilots also flew missions using the Royal Navy'sSea Harriers in the air-to-air combat role, in particularFlight Lieutenant Dave Morgan the highest scoring pilot of the war.[51] Following a British victory, the RAF remained in theSouth Atlantic to provide air defence to the Falkland Islands, with theMcDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 based atRAF Mount Pleasant which was built in 1984.[52]
Four major defence reviews have been conducted since the end of the Cold War: the 1990Options for Change, the 1998Strategic Defence Review, the 2003Delivering Security in a Changing World and the 2010Strategic 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, theBAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft was cancelled due to over spending and missing deadlines.[65] Other reductions saw total manpower reduced by 5,000 personnel to a trained strength of 33,000 and the early retirement of theJoint Force Harrier aircraft, theBAE Harrier GR7/GR9.[66]
In recent years, fighter aircraft onQuick Reaction Alert (QRA) have been increasingly required toscramble in response toRussian Air Force aircraft approaching British airspace.[67] On 24 January 2014, in the Houses of Parliament,Conservative MP andMinister 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.[68]RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire andRAF 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".[69]
The RAF operated theHercules since 1967. The C-130J model was in service between 1998 and 2023
On 4 October 2015, a final stand-down saw the end of more than 70 years ofRAF Search and Rescue provision in the UK. The RAF and Royal Navy'sWestland 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 aPrivate Finance Initiative with newly purchasedSikorsky S-92 andAgustaWestland AW189 aircraft. The new contract means that all UK SAR coverage is now provided by Bristow aircraft.[70]
In 2018, the RAF's vision of a future constellation of imagery satellites was initiated through the launch of theCarbonite-2 technology demonstrator. The 100 kg Carbonite-2 usescommercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components to deliver high-quality imagery and 3D video footage from space.[71][72] The Royal Air Force celebrated its 100th anniversary on 1 April 2018.[73] It marked the occasion on 10 July 2018 with a flypast over London consisting of 103 aircraft.[74][75]
Between March 2020 and 2022, the RAF assisted with the response efforts to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom as part ofOperation Rescript. This saw 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.[76][77] UnderOperation 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.[78]
The UK's 20-year long operations in Afghanistan came to an end in August 2021, seeing the largest airlift since the Berlin Blockade take place. As part ofOperation Pitting, the RAF helped evacuate over 15,000 people in two weeks.[79][80] Between April and May 2023, the RAF helped evacuate over 2,300 people from Sudan due to the2023 Sudan conflict as part ofOperation Polarbear.[81][82]
In April 2024, Typhoon FGR4s operating from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, engaged and destroyed Iranian drones over Iraqi and Syrian airspace duringIran's strikes against Israel.[83]
The management of the RAF is the responsibility of theAir Force Board, a sub-committee of theDefence Council which is part of theMinistry of Defence and the body legally responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom and itsoverseas 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 andHis Majesty's Government.[88]
United Kingdom Space Command (UKSC), established 1 April 2021 under the command of Air Vice-MarshalPaul Godfrey is ajoint command, but sits "under the Royal Air Force."[93] 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."[93] UKSC headquarters is atRAF High Wycombe co-located with Air Command.[94]
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. 11 Group is responsible for integrating operations across theair,cyber andspace 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 atRAF Boulmer in Northumberland,RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire andRAF Spadeadam in Cumbria.[97]
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 agroup captain. Each station typically hosts several flying and non-flyingsquadrons orunits which are supported by administrative and support wings.[100]
Operations are supported by numerous other flying and non-flying stations, with activity focussed atRAF Honington which coordinatesForce Protection andRAF Leeming &RAF Wittering which have a support enabler role.
The UK operates permanent military airfields (known as Permanent Joint Operating Bases) in fourBritish Overseas Territories. These bases contribute to the physical defence and maintenance of sovereignty of the British Overseas Territories and enable the UK to conductexpeditionary military operations.[103] Although command and oversight of the bases is provided byStrategic Command, the airfield elements are known as RAF stations.[104]
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 awardedstandards andbattle honours for meritorious service. Most flying squadrons are commanded by awing commander and, for a fast-jet squadron, have an complement of around twelve aircraft.[109]
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 theFalkland Islands, with four Eurofighter Typhoon fighters based atRAF Mount Pleasant.[110]
Command, control, and support for overseas operations is typically provided throughExpeditionary 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.[111]
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, likeNo. 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 andNo. 6 Flying Training School do not have a front-line training responsibility – their job is to group theUniversity Air Squadrons and theVolunteer 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.[116]
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).[124] It provides training in aeronautical engineering, electro and mechanical engineering, and communication and information systems.[125]
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.[126]
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.[127]
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 theRAF Centre for Air Power Studies, both based at RAF Cranwell,[129] and theAir Warfare Centre, based at RAF Waddington and RAF Cranwell.[130] Non-commissioned officer training and developmental courses occur atRAF Halton and officer courses occur at theJoint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham.[131]
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 wasHenry Allingham, who died on 18 July 2009 aged 113.[132]
As of 1 January 2015, the RAF numbered some 34,200 Regular[133] and 1,940Royal Auxiliary Air Force[134] 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 ina time of need, this is known as theRegular Reserve. In 2007, there were 33,980 RAF Regular Reserves, of which 7,950 served under a fixed-term reserve contract.[135] 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.[136] They had a strength of 7,120 personnel in 2014.[137]
Figures provided by theInternational Institute for Strategic Studies from 2012 showed that RAF pilots achieve a relatively high number of flying hours per year when compared with other majorNATO allies such as France and Germany. RAF pilots achieve 210 to 290 flying hours per year.[138] French andGerman Air Force pilots achieved 180 and 150 flying hours across their fleets respectively.[139]
Officers hold acommission from thesovereign, 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 theRAF College, Cranwell, Lincolnshire.[140]
In 1952, officers served in one of fourteen branches: Catering; Chaplains; Dental; Education; Equipment; Fighter Control; General Duties (i.e. aircrew); Legal; Medical; Physical Fitness; Provost; RAF Regiment; Secretarial; and Technical. All except General Duties and the RAF Regiment were open to women.[142]
Other ranks attend the Recruit Training Squadron atRAF Halton for basic training.[143] 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 ofchief technician andjunior 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 theWarrant Officer of the Royal Air Force.[144]
From 1952, trades for RAF airmen and airwomen were grouped into 23 trade groups: Accounting and Secretarial; Air Traffic Control and Fire Services; Aircraft Engineering; Airfield Construction; Armament Engineering; Catering; Dental; Electrical and Instrument Engineering; General Duties (i.e. aircrew); General Engineering; General Service; Ground Signalling; Marine Craft; Mechanical Transport; Medical; Music; Photography; Police; Radar Operating; Radio Engineering; RAF Regiment; Safety and Surface; and Supply. All were open to women except Air Traffic Control and Fire Services, Airfield Construction, General Duties, Marine Craft and the RAF Regiment[142]
TheEurofighter Typhoon FGR4 is the RAF's primary multi-role air defence and ground attack fighter aircraft,[147][148] following the retirement of thePanavia Tornado F3 in late March 2011.[149] With the completion of 'Project Centurion' upgrades, the Typhoon FGR4 took over ground attack duties from thePanavia Tornado GR4, which was retired on 1 April 2019.[150][151][152] 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 (Icelandic Air Policing).[147][153]
The Typhoon made its combat debut in support ofOperation Ellamy in 2011, and has been supportingOperation Shader since December 2015.[147] Typhoons have also been supportingOperation Poseidon Archer since January 2024.[160] The Typhoon made its first air-to-air kill in December 2021, shooting down a small hostile drone nearAl-Tanf base, Syria, with anASRAAM.[161]
The first RAF squadron to operate the F-35B wasNo. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron atEdwards AFB, California, accepting its first aircraft in 2014.[105]No. 617 (The Dambusters) Squadron officially reformed on 18 April 2018 as the first operational RAF Lightning squadron.[171] The first four aircraft arrived atRAF Marham from the United States in June 2018,[172] with a further five arriving in August 2018.[173] The Lightning was declared combat ready in January 2019.[174] The second UK based F-35B squadron to be formed wasNo. 207 Squadron on 1 August 2019 as the OCU for both RAF and Royal Navy pilots.[175][176]
Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR)
SixHawker Beechcraft Shadow R1s (with two more to be converted) are operated byNo. 14 Squadron from RAF Waddington, these aircraft are King Air 350CERs that have been specially converted for the ISTAR role.[177] Four Shadow R1s were originally ordered in 2007 due to anUrgent Operational Requirement,[178] and began the conversion process to the ISTAR role in 2009.[179]ZZ416 was the first Shadow R1 to be delivered in May 2009 toNo. V (AC) Squadron.[180] A further Shadow was procured and delivered in December 2011.[181] The Shadow fleet was transferred over to the newly reformed No. 14 Squadron in October 2011.[182] Following the 2015 SDSR, three more Shadows were ordered and the fleet was given an OSD of 2030.[183]
ThreeBoeing RC-135W Rivet Joints (also known in RAF service as Airseeker) replaced theHawker Siddeley Nimrod R1 fleet in thesignals intelligence role under the Airseeker Programme and are flown byNo. 51 Squadron.[186] 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.[187] The aircraft wereBoeing KC-135R Stratotanker tankers converted to RC-135W standard in the most complex combinedForeign Military Sales case and co-operative support arrangement that the UK had undertaken with theUnited States Air Force since the Second World War.[188] The Rivet Joint received its first operational deployment in August 2014, when it was deployed to the Middle East to fly missions overIraq andSyria as part of Operation Shader.[189] The RC-135W's OSD is 2035.[190]
The General Atomics Protector RG1 is currently being introduced into RAF service, with operational flying scheduled to begin in 2025.[191] On 5 October 2015, it was announced that the Scavenger programme had been replaced by "Protector", a new requirement for at least 20unmanned aerial vehicles.[192] On 7 October 2015, it was revealed that Protector would be acertifiable derivative of theMQ-9B SkyGuardian with enhanced range and endurance.[193] In 2016, it was indicated that at least sixteen aircraft would be purchased with a maximum of up to twenty-six.[194] In July 2018, aGeneral Atomics US civil-registered SkyGuardian was flown from North Dakota to RAF Fairford for theRoyal International Air Tattoo where it was given RAF markings. In July 2020, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract for three Protectors with an option on an additional thirteen aircraft.[195] The 2021 Defence Command Paper confirmed the order for 16 Protectors,[158] despite the fact that the 2015 SDSR originally laid out plans for more than 20.[196] The first Protector RG1 (PR009) was delivered to RAF Waddington in September 2023.[197]No. 31 Squadron was reformed as the first Protector squadron on 11 October 2023,[198] having been earmarked for the role in 2018.[199]
The first production Poseidon MRA1ZP801 made its initial flight on 13 July 2019.[208]ZP801 arrived atKinloss Barracks, the former home of the Nimrod, on 4 February 2020, filling a decade long gap in maritime capability.[209] The Poseidon was declared combat ready in April 2020.[210] The Poseidon carried out its first operational mission on 3 August 2020, when the Russian warshipVasily Bykov was tracked.[211] A Poseidon MRA1 arrived at RAF Lossiemouth for the first time in October 2020.[206] The ninth, and final Poseidon arrived at RAF Lossiemouth on 11 January 2022.[212]
No. 99 Squadron operate eightBoeing C-17A Globemaster III in the heavy strategic airlift role fromRAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. Four C-17A were originally leased fromBoeing in 2000,[213] These four were subsequently purchased outright,[214] followed by a fifth delivered on 7 April 2008 and a sixth delivered on 11 June 2008.[215] 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.[216] In February 2012 the purchase of an eighth C-17 was confirmed;[217] the aircraft arrived at RAF Brize Norton in May 2012.[218]
TheAirbus Atlas C1 (A400M) replaced the RAF's fleet of C-130 Hercules, initially replacing the C1/C3 (C-130K) which were withdrawn from use on 28 October 2013, having originally entered service in 1967.[219] Based at RAF Brize Norton, the Atlas fleet is operated byNo. 30 Squadron andNo. LXX Squadron.[220] The first Atlas C1 (ZM400) was delivered to the RAF in November 2014.[221] Originally, twenty-five A400Ms were ordered in the initial batch; the total initial purchase then dropped to twenty-two.[222][223] The final aircraft in the initial order of 22 aircraft was delivered in May 2023.[224] In February 2023, the Chief of the Air Staff indicated that up to six additional aircraft were planned for delivery by 2030.[225] The C-130J Hercules was retired from RAF service on 30 June 2023.[226]
Air transport tasks are also carried out by theAirbus Voyager KC2/3, flown byNo. 10 Squadron andNo. 101 Squadron.[229] The first Voyager (ZZ330) arrived in the UK for testing atMOD Boscombe Down in April 2011,[230] and entered service in April 2012.[231] 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.[232] A total of fourteen Voyagers form the fleet, with nine allocated to sole RAF use (three KC2s and six KC3s).[233] As the Voyagers lack arefuelling boom, the RAF has requested a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with theUSAF allowing the UK access to tankers equipped with refuelling booms for itsRC-135W Rivet Joint .[234]
TwoDassault Falcon 900XLs were procured in early 2022 to replace the RAF's fleet of fourBAe 146s (two CC2s and two C3s) in the Command Support Air Transport role.[235] Known as the Envoy IV CC1 in British service, the aircraft are based atRAF Northolt and are operated by a mixed civilian andNo. 32 (The Royal) Squadron crew. This arrangement will remain until 2026 when the fleet will be placed on themilitary register.[236][237]
RAF helicopters support theBritish 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 theRoyal Marines. The support helicopters are organised into the tri-serviceJoint Aviation Command (JAC), along with helicopters from the British Army andRoyal Navy.[238]No. 22 Squadron, based atRAF Benson, is the OEU for JAC.[239]
The Grob Tutor T1 equips fifteenUniversity 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 withAir Experience Flights, which share the same aircraft and facilities and provide air experience flying to theAir Training Corps andCombined Cadet Force. The Tutor is also flown byNo. 16 Squadron andNo. 115 Squadron based at RAF Wittering.[254]
Volunteer Gliding Squadrons also provide air experience flying to cadets using theGrob Viking T1 conventional glider. Due to an airworthiness issue in April 2014, the Viking fleet and theGrob Vigilant T1 fleet were grounded for a two-year period, although Viking operations have subsequently resumed.[255] 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.[256]
TheGrob 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 byNo. 57 Squadron. On completion of elementary training, aircrew are then streamed to either fast jet, multi-engine, or rotary training.[257]
Basic fast jet training is provided on theBeechcraft Texan T1, which replaced the Short Tucano T1 in November 2019. The Texan is a tandem-seatturboprop aircraft, featuring a digitalglass cockpit. It is operated byNo. 72 (F) Squadron based atRAF Valley inAnglesey which provides lead-in training for RAF and Royal Navy fighter pilots prior to advanced training on theBAE Hawk T2. The first two Texans were delivered in February 2018 and by December 2018 ten aircraft had arrived at RAF Valley.[258][259] Four additional Texans were delivered on 3 November 2020.[260]
The BAE Hawk T2 is flown byNo. IV Squadron andNo. 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.[261] After advanced training aircrew go on to anOperational 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 alongsidesimulators and ground training, although in the case of the Typhoon a two-seater training variant exists which is designated the Typhoon T3.[262]
On 15 October 2020, it was announced a joint RAF-Qatari Air Force Hawk squadron (similar toNo. 12 Squadron) would be formed in the future.[263] On 1 April 2021, it was further elaborated that this squadron would be stood up in September 2021 atRAF Leeming, North Yorkshire.[264] The Joint Hawk Training Squadron received its first two Hawk Mk.167s at RAF Leeming on 1 September 2021.[265] On 24 November 2021, the Joint Hawk Training Squadron became11 Squadron QEAF when it reformed at RAF Leeming.[266]
Multi-Engine aircrew, weapon systems officer (WSO) and weapon systems operator (WSOp) students are trained on theEmbraer Phenom T1. It is operated byNo. 45 Squadron based at RAF Cranwell. Multi-engine aircrew then go to their Operational Conversion Unit or front-line squadron.[267]
A Boeing E-7 Wedgetail of the Royal Air Force (November 2024)
In July 2014, the House of CommonsDefence 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.[270] In July 2018, at theFarnborough Airshow, the Defence Secretary announced a £2bn investment for BAE Systems,MBDA andLeonardo to develop a new British 6th Generation Fighter to replace Typhoon in 2035 underProject Tempest.[271]
On 22 March 2019, the defence secretary announced the UK had signed a $1.98 billion deal to procure fiveBoeing E-7 Wedgetails to replace the ageingBoeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 fleet in the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) role.[272] 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.[273] In December 2020, it was announced that the Wedgetail AEW1 will be based at RAF Lossiemouth.[274] The 2021 Defence Command Paper cut the Wedgetail order down to three aircraft.[158] The Sentry AEW1s were officially withdrawn on 28 September 2021.[275]
In March 2021, the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy paper was published which announced the aim to procure aNew Medium Helicopter (NMH) in order to replace the Puma HC2, Griffin HAR2 (in RAF service) and the AAC'sBell 212 AH1 andEurocopter Dauphin AH1.[276] In May 2022, the MoD announced the beginning of the NMH competition, with the aim to acquire up to 44 helicopters.[277] By November 2022, four companies qualified for the MoD's requirements: Airbus (H175M); Boeing (MH-139 Grey Wolf); Leonardo (AW149); and Sikorsky / Lockheed Martin (S-70 Black Hawk).[278] TheMinister of State for Defence Procurement opened bidding for the competition, between Airbus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK, in February 2024.[279]
Following the tradition of the other British armed services, the RAF has adopted symbols to represent it, use as rallying devices for members and promoteesprit de corps. British aircraft in the early stages of the First World War carried theUnion Flag as an identifying feature; however, this was easily confused with Germany'sIron 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.[280] 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 thered disc removed to preventconfusion with Japanese aircraft.[281] 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.[281]
The RAF's motto isPer Ardua ad Astra and is usually translated fromLatin as "Through Adversity to the Stars",[282] but the RAF's official translation is "Through Struggle to the Stars".[12] 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 theRoyal Flying Corps,Colonel Sykes.[283]
Thebadge of the Royal Air Force was first used in August 1918. Inheraldic terms, it is: "In front of a circle inscribed with the mottoPer Ardua ad Astra and ensigned by the Imperial Crown an eagle volant and affronté head lowered and to the sinister".[282] Although there have been debates among airmen over the years about whether the bird was originally meant to be an albatross or an eagle, the consensus is that it was always an eagle.[284]
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is theaerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based atRAF 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.[285] The Red Arrows badge shows the aircraft in their trademarkDiamond Nine formation, with the mottoÉclat, a French word meaning "brilliance" or "excellence".[285]
Initially, they were equipped with sevenFolland Gnat trainers inherited from the RAFYellowjacks display team. This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-linefighters. 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 theirDiamond Nine formation. In late 1979, they switched to theBAE Hawk trainer. The Red Arrows have performed over 4,700 displays in fifty-six countries worldwide.[286]
The Royal Air Force, and its predecessor, the Royal Flying Corps, has provided theflypast for Trooping the Colour since 1913. The RFC performed its first flypast forKing George V'sOfficial Birthday over Laffin's Plain, Aldershot.[289]
^Since April 2013, MoD publications no longer report the entire strength of theRegular 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.
^Tami Davis Biddle, "British and American Approaches to Strategic Bombing: Their Origins and Implementation in the World War II Combined Bomber Offensive."Journal of Strategic Studies, March 1995, Vol. 18 Issue 1, pp 91–144; Tami Davis Biddle,Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare: The Evolution of British and American Ideas about Strategic Bombing, 1914–1945 (2002)
^"The Few". The Churchill Centre. March 2009.Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved29 April 2011.The gratitude of every home in our island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
^Overy, Richard (2013).The Bombing War. Penguin. p. 322.
^Stone, Trevor (2017)."5".Sustaining Air Power: Royal Air Force Logistics since 1918. Fonthill Media.ISBN978-1-78155-635-1.Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved20 November 2020.
Aloni, Shlomo. (2001).Arab–Israeli Air Wars 1947–82. London: Osprey.ISBN9781841762944.
Biddle, Tami Davis (2002).Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare: The Evolution of British and American Ideas about Strategic Bombing, 1914–1945. Princeton: Princeton University Press.ISBN9781400824977.
Bowyer, Chaz (1980).History of the RAF. London: Allen.ISBN9780711010055.
Dean, Maurice (1979).The Royal Air Force and Two World Wars. London: Cassell.
Connolly, Corvin J.Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Cotesworth Slessor and the Anglo-American Air Power Alliance, 1940–1945 (Texas A&M Press, 2001).
Cox, Jafna L. "A splendid training ground: the importance to the Royal Air Force of its role in Iraq, 1919–32."Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 13.2 (1985): 157–184.
Davis, Richard B.Bombing the European Axis Powers. A Historical Digest of the Combined Bomber Offensive 1939–1945 (Air University Press, 2006)onlineArchived 21 December 2016 at theWayback Machine
Gooderson, Ian.Air Power at the Battlefront: Allied Close Air Support in Europe 1943–45 (Routledge, 2013).
Heaton, Colin D., and Anne-Marie Lewis.Night Fighters: Luftwaffe and RAF Air Combat Over Europe, 1939–1945 (Naval Institute Press, 2008).
Heyman, Charles (2013).The Armed Forces of the United Kingdom (2014–2015). Barnsley: Pen and Sword.ISBN978-178346351-0.
Hoffman, Bruce.British Air Power in Peripheral Conflict, 1919–1976 (RAND, 1989)onlineArchived 28 July 2020 at theWayback Machine, with bibliography
Lee, David.Eastward: a history of the Royal Air Force in the Far East, 1945–1972 (Seven Hills Books, 1984).
Lee, David.Flight from the Middle East: A History of the Royal Air Force in the Arabian Peninsula and Adjacent Territories, 1945–1972 (HM Stationery Office, 1980).
Maiolo, Joseph.Cry Havoc: How the arms race drove the world to war, 1931–1941 (2010)
Philpott, Ian, ed.Royal Air Force History: Royal Air Force – an Encyclopaedia of the Inter-War Years (2 vol 2008)
Rawlings, John D.R.The History of the Royal Air Force (1984) well illustrated.
Richards, Denis, and David Pilgrim.Royal Air Force, 1939–1945: The fight at odds (1954), the official history.
Ritchie, Sebastian. "The RAF, Small Wars and Insurgencies: Later Colonial Operations, 1945–1975" (2011)
Robertson, Bruce (1967).Aircraft Markings of the World 1912–1967. London: Harleyford.ISBN978-0900435096.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
Saunders, Hilary.Per Ardua: The Rise of British Air Power, 1911–1939 (Oxford UP, 1945).
Sinnott, Colin S.The RAF and Aircraft Design: Air Staff Operational Requirements 1923-1939 (Routledge, 2014).
Smith, Malcolm.British Air Strategy Between the Wars (Oxford, The Clarendon Press, 1984).
Smith, Gordon Scott.RAF War Plans and British Foreign Policy 1935–1940 (MIT Dept. of Political Science, 1966).online
Spencer, Alex M (2020).British Imperial Air Power: The Royal Air Forces and the Defense of Australia and New Zealand Between the World Wars. Indiana: Purdue University Press.ISBN978-1-55753-940-3.
Werrell, Kenneth P. "The strategic bombing of Germany in World War II: Costs and accomplishments."Journal of American History 73.3 (1986): 702–713.online
_flies_alongside_Hurricane_LF363_(back).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_SEPECAT_Jaguar_GR3As%2c_formerly_of_No._6_Squadron%2c_now_used_as_ground_instructional_airframes_to_train_tomorrows%2527_RAF_aircraft_technicians_and_engineers%2c_at_RAF_Cosford.jpg)
_(2).jpg)
_OR-9.svg)
_OR-7.svg)
_OR-6.svg)
.jpg)
_Sqdn_RAF_Waddington_this_morning.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_of_32_Sqn_RAF_at_RAF_Northolt%2c_in_its_%2527Global_Britain%2527_livery_-_2022-12-06-1247-01.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
