Royal Air Force


Royal Air Force badge. Motto "Through adversity to the stars" The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force of the United Kingdom. According to the Ministry of Defence http://www.raf.mod.uk/, the purpose of the Armed Forces, including the RAF is to:

Stucture of the RAF

The head of the RAF is known as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), currently Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup. The CAS heads the Air Force Board, which is a committee of the Defence Council. The Air Force Board (AFB) is the management board of the RAF and consists of the Commanders-in-Chief of the Commands, together with several other Air Officers.

Commands

Operational command is delegated from the AFB to formations known as Commands. While there were once invidual Commands responsible for bombers, fighters, training, etc, only two Commands exist currently:

Groups

Groups are the subdivisions of operational Commands, responsible for certain types of operation or for operations in limited geographical areas. Since 2000, three Groups have existed within Strike Command: See also List of Royal Air Force groups.

Wings

A Wing is a sub-division of a Group, and a grouping of two or more squadrons, either flying squadrons or ground support squadrons. In former times, numbered flying Wings have existed, but today they are created as needed, for example during Op. Telic, Tornado Wings operated from Ali al Salem and Al Udeid; each of these were made up of aircraft and crews from several squadrons. In addition, RAF Stations are administratively sub-divided into Wings. For a flying station these will normally be Engineering Wing, Operations Wing and Administration Wing. The only Wings currently in permanent existence are the ground support wings of 2 Group. See also List of Royal Air Force wings.

Squadrons

The term squadron (sqn) can be used to refer to an administrative sub-unit of a station, eg Air Traffic Control sqn, Personnel Management sqn; there are also ground support squadrons, eg 2 (MT) Sqn. However, the primary use for the term is as the name of the flying squadrons which carry 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 currently based, which aircraft they are operating, etc. They can be awarded standards and battle honours for meritorious service. Whilst every squadron is different, most are commanded by a Wing Commander and, for a fast-jet squadron, have an establishment of around 100 personnel and 12 aircraft. See also List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

RAF Personnel

The various ranks of personnel within the RAF are listed in descending order below. See Comparative military ranks to compare RAF ranks with those of other services.

Officers

The names and insignia of RAF Officers were based on those in use by the Royal Navy - the insignia for equivalent ranks are the same apart from the colour (light blue stripe on a black background rather than gold) and the absence of the Navy's loop. Officers hold a commission from the Sovereign, which provides the legal authority for them to issue orders to subordinates. The commission is granted after successfully completing the 26 week long Initial Officer Training course at the RAF College, Cranwell.

Other Ranks

The rank structure for Other Ranks was based on that of the Army, with some alterations in terminology. Over the years, this structure has seen significant chages, for example there was once a separate system for those in technical trades. Other Ranks attend the Recruit Training Squadron at RAF Halton for basic training, with the exception of the RAF Regiment, who train their recruits at RAF Honington.

Branches and Trades

The majority of the members of the RAF serve in vital support roles on the ground.

History

Main Article: History of the Royal Air Force

Formation and Early History

Royal Air Force Ensign The Royal Flying Corps was formed by Royal Warrant on May 13, 1912 superseding the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers. The Royal Naval Air Service was formed shortly after the outbreak of World War I. Both services saw heavy action during the war. The two services were amalgamated on April 1, 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. The RAF was under the supervision of the Air Ministry and was the world's second independent air force, after the German Luftwaffe, though because the Luftwaffe was disbanded after the end of World War I, the RAF is the oldest airforce in the world. Hugh Trenchard was instrumental in pressing for the formation of an independent air force, and would lead the new force until retirement in 1929.

Inter-War Years

Between the World Wars the RAF was responsible for mail and armed forces services, but saw little military action. It was, however, used as an aerial police force to patrol the British Empires borders. Of particular note was 1928s air evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan, the first operation of its kind. This period also saw the formation of the major flying schools that still provide its service personnel. An important event during that time period was a reorganisation of the RAF's major commands. In 1936, the familiar Coastal Command, Fighter Command and Bomber Command were formed from the RAF's home squadrons. This mission-based organisation was unique at the time, and was to stand the RAF in good stead. In 1937 the Naval Air Branch was returned to the Royal Navy, and was soon renamed the Fleet Air Arm.

World War Two

A defining period of the RAF's existence came during the Battle of Britain. Over the summer of 1940 the RAF held off the Luftwaffe in perhaps the most prolonged and complicated air campaign in history. This contributed immensely to the delay and cancellation of Germany's planned invasion of England (Operation Sea Lion) and helped to turn the tide of World War II. (See also British military history of World War II.) The largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. From May 31 1942 RAF Bomber Command was able to mount large scale night raids involving up to 1000 aircraft, many of which were the new heavy four-engined bombers. There exists considerable historical controversy about the ethics of such large attacks against German cities during the last few months of the war (see Bombing of Dresden in World War II).

Cold War Years

The RAF did not have a prominent role in the Korean War, with only a few flying boats taking part. However, the Suez Crisis in 1956 saw a large RAF role, with aircraft mainly flying from Cyprus and Malta. 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. From the late 1950s, until relieved by the Royal Navys Polaris submarines in 1969, the RAF provided the UKs Nuclear deterent, in the form of the V Force. The church of St Clement Danes, in London, was consecrated as the Central Church of the Royal Air Force in 1958. This Wren church had been destroyed by enemy action in 1941, and was restored following an appeal by the RAF. In 1968 the RAF experienced its largest change in administrative structure since 1936 when Fighter Command, Bomber Command and Coastal Command were combined into the new Strike Command which exists today. The end of the RAF presence in the east of Asia came in 1971 when the Far East Air Force was disbanded on October 31. See Bomber Command during the Cold War

Recent Operations

The next large conflict involving the RAF was the Falklands War in 1982. Its most high profile missions in this conflict were the famous Black Buck raids using Avro Vulcans flying from Ascension Island. However, the service did many other things during the conflict, with its helicopters in the Falklands themselves, its Harrier GR3s flying from HMS Hermes, its fighter aircraft protecting Ascension, maritime patrol aircraft scanning the South Atlantic, and tanker and transport fleet helping in the enormous logistical effort required for the war. In 1991 over 100 RAF aircraft took part in the Gulf War, in virtually every conceivable role. It marked an important turning point in the RAF's history as it was the first time the service had used precision guided munitions in significant amounts. It was initially thought that the RAF would not need to use them, as most of its bombing missions would be at low level. After heavy losses, bombing was switched to medium level, and the venerable Blackburn Buccaneer was rushed to the theatre to provide laser designation for the RAF's Tornados. The end of the decade saw the much smaller Kosovo War in 1999, which confirmed the shift towards precision guided munitions. The Kosovo conflict was remarkable in that it was the first time a war of such size had been fought with no loss of life on one side. Although smaller than the Gulf War, it was still a medium sized war. In 2002, RAF personnel undertook fire-fighting duties as part of Operation Fresco, due to a series of strikes by fire-fighters. This is an example of Military Aid to the Civil Community.

Current Role

In the 21st century the RAF is trying to keep up with the technological lead of the United States Air Force. Two conflicts have been fought so far, with the RAF taking very much a supporting role in the 2001 conquest of Afghanistan, but centre stage in the 2003 Gulf War II. The latter conflict again saw over 100 fixed wing aircraft deployed, with all weapon firing aircraft capable of dropping smart munitions for the first time.

RAF Aircraft

The RAF's [[roundel was adopted during the First World War. It is a reversal of the French roundel. The roundel has found its way into British culture, where it is often described as a "target".]] Many types of aircraft currently serve with the RAF, although there is less variety in the order of battle of the organisation than in previous decades due to the increasing cost of military systems. The types currently in the RAF inventory are: For historical aircraft see List of aircraft of the RAF. The codes which suffix the each aircraft's name describe the role of the particular variant. The system is often similar to the equivalent American one. The UK's C-17s as yet do not carry a RAF name or designation due to their leased status, referred to simply as C-17s.

Strike, Attack and Offensive Support Aircraft

Air Defence and Airborne Early Warning Aircraft

Reconnaissance Aircraft

Maritime Patrol / Search and Rescue Aircraft

Support Helicopters

Transport and Air-to-Air Refuelling Aircraft

Operational Conversion Aircraft

Training Aircraft

Future aircraft

The aircraft operated by the RAF continue to be upgraded and improved throughout their service. In addition, new aircraft to replace existing fleets or fill new roles come into service every so often. This list includes aircraft soon to be deployed or in development for the RAF.

Famous members of the Royal Air Force

Famous RAF Leaders

Famous people who previously served in the RAF

See also

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