No. 1 Group (RAF)

No. 1 Group (RAF) is a major operational command within the Royal Air Force, with a distinguished history dating back to the First World War. It has served in various bomber, transport, and strike roles, playing a pivotal part in conflicts from the Second World War to contemporary operations. Currently headquartered at RAF Brize Norton, it is responsible for the RAF's strategic and tactical air transport, air-to-air refuelling, and intelligence gathering capabilities. The group's evolution reflects the changing demands of aerial warfare and power projection.

History

The group was originally formed on 1 April 1918 at RAF Sunningdale as part of the newly independent Royal Air Force, initially controlling training and administrative units. It was disbanded in 1919 but reformed in 1939 on the eve of the Second World War as a Bomber Command group, operating Vickers Wellington and later Avro Lancaster aircraft from airfields across Lincolnshire. Under the leadership of figures like Air Vice-Marshal Robert Oxland, it conducted intensive night bombing campaigns against Nazi Germany, including raids on Berlin and critical industrial targets. Post-war, it transitioned to V bombers during the Cold War as part of the UK's nuclear deterrent before being disbanded in 1968. The group was reactivated in 2000 to assume control of the RAF's air mobility forces, merging with No. 38 Group in 2007 to form the modern air mobility organisation.

Structure

No. 1 Group is commanded by an Air Vice-Marshal and is subdivided into several wings and stations that manage specific aircraft fleets and functions. Key formations include the Air Mobility Force, centred on RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, which operates the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, and Airbus Voyager aircraft. The Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Force, based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, commands platforms like the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail and General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper. The group also oversees the RAF's Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, and works closely with NATO allies and other branches of the British Armed Forces like the British Army and Royal Navy.

Aircraft

The group's fleet is diverse, tailored for strategic transport, aerial refuelling, and surveillance. Primary transport aircraft include the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III for outsized cargo and the Airbus A400M Atlas for tactical lift. The Airbus Voyager, operated by AirTanker Services, provides a dual-role air-to-air refuelling and passenger transport capability. For ISTAR missions, it utilises the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail for airborne early warning and control and the remotely piloted General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper for persistent surveillance and strike. Previous aircraft in its lineage have included the Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor, and Lockheed TriStar.

Airfields

The group's operations are concentrated at several main operating bases across the United Kingdom. RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire is the group's headquarters and the RAF's largest station, serving as the hub for all strategic air transport and refuelling. RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire functions as the core base for ISTAR aircraft and is home to the RAF Air Surveillance and Control System. Other significant stations include RAF Benson, which hosts support helicopter forces, and RAF Northolt, which handles VIP transport. Historically, the group controlled numerous Bomber Command airfields in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, such as RAF Scampton and RAF Coningsby.

Commanders

Commanders of No. 1 Group have held the rank of Air Vice-Marshal and have included notable figures in RAF history. Early wartime command fell to Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Harris in 1939, who later led Bomber Command. Other distinguished commanders include Air Vice-Marshal Ralph Cochrane, who oversaw the group's operations with No. 617 Squadron prior to the Dambusters Raid, and Air Vice-Marshal Sir Edward Addison in the post-war V bomber era. Recent commanders, such as Air Vice-Marshal Gary Waterfall and Air Vice-Marshal Paul Lloyd, have steered the group's modern air mobility and ISTAR missions.

Notable operations

Throughout its history, the group has been involved in numerous significant military campaigns. During the Second World War, its squadrons participated in every major Bomber Command offensive, including the Battle of the Ruhr, the Hamburg bombings, and the controversial Bombing of Dresden. In the post-war era, it provided the UK's V bomber nuclear alert force throughout the Cold War. More recently, it has been integral to expeditionary operations, providing critical airlift and refuelling for campaigns in Afghanistan (Operation Herrick) and Iraq (Operation Telic), as well as humanitarian missions such as the response to the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa and the evacuation from Kabul during Operation Pitting.